


Overprotective- Dramione

by Blondebeotch



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Drinking, F/F, F/M, First Time, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Love, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 05:46:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 22,994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29961813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blondebeotch/pseuds/Blondebeotch
Summary: "Just answer the damn question Malfoy!" Hermione yelled."I said no. Deal with knowing you don't get everything you want in life, Granger!""Just Answer!" She yelled. And then he was stepping forward and grabbing her upper arms his face inches from hers he could feel her breath against his skin. Eyes flying across her face stalling on her slightly ajar lips and then flicking back up to her golden eyes searching."Why do you think I did it Granger?" He spat. Before turning on his heal and storming out of the classroom. Leaving Hermione alone to question what he meant.
Relationships: Ginny Weasley/Blaise Zabini, Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy, Pansy Parkinson/Charlie Weasley, Theodore nott/ Bronson
Comments: 1
Kudos: 44





	1. Ron Weasley is an Arse

**MIDNIGHT**

"Come on, Draco, you" hick "have to stay" hick "the ball is not over" hick "yet." Pansy slurred grabbing for Malfoy's robes. But the ball was over, at least for Malfoy. She had left, with Weasel of all people.

**4 HOURS EARLIER**

She had showed up looking entirely stunning in her periwinkle dress, a color that Malfoy never knew existed until it graced the soft curves of her figure. He was stuck stupid at the sight of her gliding down the stars. Even when Crabbe and Goyle commented about her dirty blood all he could do was absently nod at their words, he was stuck stupid and at a loss for words all because of Hermione Granger and her stupid periwinkles dress.

TWO HOURS INTO THE BALL

Later in the evening when he was with Blaise and Theo, two much more intellectually sound people than his previous company. They were all sitting at a table drinking spiked punch while their dates were on the dance floor.

"I can't believe that Granger was able to bag Krum." Theo said absently looking out over the dance floor

"What?" Malfoy asked. He hadn't heard all of what his friend said because he had been glaring at Victor Krum, who had left Granger in the middle of the dance floor to go get a drink.

"I was shocked when I saw her tonight, Granger. She looked . . . pretty" Blaise said.

"The mudblood golden girl, Gryffindors princess, you thought she was pretty?" Theo asked narrowing his eyes at Blaise.

"Yes," he said "she is pretty, only a blind person would say otherwise. And for that 'mudblood' bullshit that you and Draco spout on and on about, I have never believed it, and you know that." Blaise shot back.

"Really?" Theo said turning to Malfoy "Draco back me up here." 

"He is not wrong." Malfoy said, making Theo go wide eyed with shock. "She doesn't look like a she normally does with her crazy mane flowing around her, but I would say that she way pretty."

Theo sputtered at Malfoy's words.

"Shit" Blaise said earning a look of confusion from Malfoy. "Who would have thought that the 'pureblooded prat of Slytherin' would have anything nice to say about Hermione Granger."

"Fuck off Blaise. I said she wasn't as ugly as she normally is. It is not that big of a deal." Malfoy said with an annoyance laced through his voice.

"Oh, it is a big fucking deal that you said that." Theo said.

"Why?" Malfoy asked with a growing annoyance to himself, for say what he really thought and his over analytical friends.

"Because you have always hated Granger. Always. So you not calling her 'ugly' or 'mudblood' or any of you other insults is cause for concern" Blaise said.

"You two are so fucking annoying." Malfoy said while getting up and walking over to the punch.

When Malfoy walked back to the table with his punch Pansy, Daphne, and Tracy were sitting at the table. Granger wasn't brought up again the rest of that night.

**MIDNIGHT**

"You are drunk Pansy, you should probably go back to your room" Malfoy said trying to hid the annoyance in his voice.

"But I want to go back to your room, Draco." Pansy said in a haphazardly seductive tone, due to her amount of drunkenness.

"No"

"But-" Pansy started.

"I said no you stupid slut." Malfoy said annunciating the last two words. "You are not coming back to my room to try and fuck me, you smell like shit, I would have to burn everything thing that room to get rid of your stench." He spat at her losing his temper.

He couldn't help but loose temper at the ideas and revelations running around his head. She had left with Weasley. We're they fucking right now? He thought. That was the thought that caused him to snap at Pansy, all the fury of imagining Weasley's dirty, unworthy hands roaming her body and doing the things he dreamed of and that infuriated him.

Pansy looked like she was about to cry, she got up and started to run somewhere that Malfoy didn't follow because something else caught his attention, Weasel.

He was walking back in to the Great Hall looking mad and somewhat flustered, and he was alone. He left with Granger but now returned. Relief flooded Malfoy's system when he realized that Granger was not with Weasel or Krum unworthy grasp.

He left the great hall slightly elated. Walking to the dungeons lost in thought he didn't hear the slight sniffling or how it got louder as he walked forward. Rounding a corner he looked up to see a girl in a periwinkle dress crumpled on a set of stairs, he stopped and his heart stuttered.

She must have heard his shoes because she looked up at him through wet lashed. Malfoy saw her whole face, her tear stained cheeks, her red puffy eyes and her quivering bottom lip. Their she was, sitting on the stairs heels kicked off to show the pink lines on her ankles. Granger was crying. He want to go up to her, to hold her and comfort her but couldn't. Why was she crying? He questioned. Weasley.

Malfoy was turning on his heal and heading back in to the Great Hall. He burst through the doors ignoring a crying Pansy and a glaring Daphne sitting at a nearby table. There was only about a third of the people in the room so it was easy to scan the room and find the obnoxious red hair.

"Weasley!" Malfoy shouted charging towards the ginger.

"Malfoy. What-" he was cut off by the fist slamming into his jaw.

Malfoy grabbed Weasley by the front of is god awful dress robes and hit him again and again and again. Hitting is eyes, jaw, and nose before he was being hauled back by a pair of hands. He caught the hold and broke free once to land a hard blow in Ron's stomach. Then grabbing him by the collar.

"She is too good for anyone like you." He whispered only loud enough for Ron to hear. "If you ever hurt her again I won't just punch you I will beat you to nearly to death. Got it."

Then he was being pulled back again, as Weasley dropped to the floor. Malfoy turned to head straight out of the hall. He was seething as he walked to the dungeon he went a different route that took an extra 10 minutes to avoid seeing a crying Granger again. He thought that if he saw her crying again that he might just turn around and attack Weasley again.

Bursting through the portrait and into the Slytherin common room he startled a few groups of first and third years that did not go to the ball. He darted straight pass them to his room. He was visibly shaking while he tried to calm his mind and body from the adrenaline. His had started to sting and he looked down to see he had busted the skin of 3 knuckles open and his hand ached with the start of a purplish bruising.

He changed quickly into his vest and boxers then climbed into bed drawing the curtains of his four poster bed. Falling into a deep sleep.

**11 AM THE NEXT DAY**

As Malfoy peeled his eyes open he could hear the slight murmur of muffed voices outside his bed that must have been his roommates. Slowing sitting up rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand he winced forgetting the damage done to his hands.

Pulling the curtain of his four poster open light flooded his eyes and he blinked away the pain of the change in brightness. Realizing the voices he had heard had stopped he looked around the room to see Blaise sitting on a chair across from Theo's bed. They both were already looking at Malfoy. Blaise with a smug smirk and Theo with a apprehensive look.

"What?" Malfoy asked as he began to walk to his chest of drawers.

"You beat the shit out of Weasley last night." Blaise said lifting is eyebrows.

"So?" He asked. Not looking at either and grabbing a pair of black pants and a cobalt jumper and tossing them on his bed.

"Care to tell us why?" Blaise asked.

"No" He gritted out as he took off his vest and put on his jumper.

"Oh, good." Blaise said plastering a wide smile across his face. "Now I can share my personal theories"

"Personal theories?" Malfoy asked sarcastically while buttoning his pants and walking to his night stand to put on his rings.

"Yes, they are . . . quiet delectable if I do say so myself" he said wising his smile

"More like delusional" Theo said under his breathe.

"Well why don't you share your theories of by behavior then, Blaise, I am quite intrigued." Malfoy prompted.

"Well when young Theodore and I were venturing back to the dungeons from the great hall he came across two people at the end of quite furious argument." He said like he was telling a story around a camp fire. "As we were about 20 meters from the two people arguing behind a corner we saw one of them as they charged our from behind the wall. It was Ron Weasley." At those words Malfoy's stomach lurched. He knew were they were talking about because that was were he had seen granger the night before crying in the stairs.

"As we rounded the corner we saw Hermione Granger siting on the stairs crying. What ever Weasley said must have upset her from how happy she seemed during the ball. We didn't think anything of it until this morning at breakfast."

"You didn't think anything of it. I still think you are being delusional it is Draco." Theo said gesturing to Malfoy.

"Well yes I suppose it is just my assumption." Blaise said smile faltering slightly as he looked to Malfoy. "I didn't think anything of it until I saw how terrible Weasley looked this morning. Two black eyes a broken nose and a fractured jaw. He apparently went to madam Pomfrey last night. She fixed his jaw and nose and tried to get rid of the bruising but couldn't, rumor it that they are magiced to stay.

"Now onto my theory. I think that you attacked Weasley because he seemed to upset Granger -and before you at that you didn't see her, Daph said that you left only 2-3 minutes after we did, so you would have seen her crying on stairs on the way to the dungeons." Blaise said seeming to have finished his story by folding his hands together retiring to his smug smirk.

"See. I told you delusional." Theo said waving his hands towards Blaise.

"Yeah, you are delusional mate." Malfoy agreed trying not to sound too defensive. "Why would I give a damn about what happens between Weasley and Granger?"

"I told you, you were wrong Blaise." Theo said rising from his bed with a proud smile and leaving the room.

"So why did you attack Weasley?" Blaise asked with a apprehensive look.

"I was drunk and needed something to hit" he said nonchalantly.

"Mhm" Blaise seemingly unconvinced in that explanation but did not press the situation anymore.

Malfoy had gotten completely ready and headed down to the common room around half an hour later to find professor Snape waiting for him on a leather seat. As Malfoy stepped into the room and saw Snape stand he internally groaned. He had not expected to get away without any consequences but was hungry and did not want to deal with his head of house/ godfather in that moment.

"Mr. Malfoy so kind of you to grace us with your presents today." The greasy man said walking up to Malfoy.

"Professor." He nodded back.

"You have detention with me for every night of this week starting on Monday" he said eyeing Malfoy. "For last night's actions."

"Yes professor." He replied rolling his eyes.

Snape nodded and turned around heading out of the common room. Malfoy stood in the middle of the room for a few moments before walking out heading to the Great Hall for lunch.

He only saw a few first and second years walking around as he headed to the Great Hall. The room was filled with people but went near silent when he walked through the threshold. Everyone was staring at him and the whole of the Gryffindor table was sneering at him. Blaise was right, amongst the sneering was Weasley looking thoroughly beaten up, Malfoy smirked.

Looking up and down the table he was glad to see that Granger was not there, he didn't think that he could handle facing her in that moment. He was not ashamed of beating Weasley senseless but was afraid she would look at him with distain or even worse, fear. He strides over to the Slytherin table and sits down next to Theo, across from Blaise and the hall eventually lulls back to its loud storm of voices. He eats lunch in without talking and leaves before any of his friends have finished their plates.

Walking out of the hall he is headed to the library to get a book. On his way he is intercepted by a few familiar faces and he groans. Pansy, Daphne, and Tracy are walking towards him.

"You are an arse Draco Malf-" Daphne starts but is quickly cut off.

"So I've heard." He clips out pushing past them bumping arms with Pansy. He does not look back but can feel the heat of Daphne's glare on him as he walks away.

Heading up to the astronomy tower book in hand Malfoy sees a familiar head of bushy curls and he grimaced. He had been hoping to avoid seeing her till Monday that would have given him two days to plan but, here she was.

He tried to avoid eye contact with her hoping she would just pass by but, luck was not in his favor, she seemed to have been seeking him out. She look mad, really mad. He tried to loose her by going down a side hall but there were people blocking the entrance and she caught up with him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Malfoy?!" She yelled at him. He was slightly surprised by her ease with swearing. Malfoy tried to ignore her by walking down the the hall but, people had stopped to watch when she yelled.

She was close to him now. Thrusting her palms into his chest sending him stumbling backward.

"What the FUCK is wrong with you Malfoy!" She yelled even louder than before and more people stopped to watch. As she continued to slam her hand against him.

Malfoy did not want everyone to see this so he glanced around in hope of finding something and to his luck he found a door to an empty classroom. Grabbing her wrist in one swift movement and pulling her into the classroom. Slamming the door shut behind him, he dropped her wrist. She took no time waiting to start pushing him again. He then grabbed her wrist again.

"Stop" she broke free and hit him again, he grabbed her wrist again. "Would you just -STOP! For Merlins sake woman stop hitting me!" He yelled as she tried to break free but his grip tightened.

"Fine! Just let me go." She said. He released her and she stumbled backwards rubbing her wrist slightly while straightening up.

"Is there a bloody reason why you just decided to attack me in the middle of the hallway?" He asked trying to even out his breathing. She had been so close he could almost smell her shampoo.

"You beat up Ron!" She yelled.

"Yes, I did. But why are you attacking me?" He countered.

"He is my friend and you broke his nose." She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Your friend is an arse"

"That doesn't mean you can beat the shit out of him!"

"So you agree." He said raising his eyebrows.

"Agree? Agree with what?"

"You agree that Weasley is an arse."

"I . . . what . . . no" she sputtered.

"You don't seem to sure about that answer Granger" he said taking a few steps towards her.

"You still shouldn't have hit him." She clipped back standing we ground as he moved closer.

"Well he needed to be taught a lesson." He lowered his voice still slowly stepping to wards her.

"And what lesson is that?" She asked as she put her hands on her hips.

"To not make girls cry when they look to pretty" Malfoy answered. There was only about a foot of empty space between them.

"W-what?" She stuttered the word just above a whisper.

He stayed silent just standing their just looking at her.

"W-why did you hit him?" She asked after he stayed silent for a few minutes.

"Now that, Granger is something you don't get to know." He said slightly backing away.

"Tell me" she said raising her voice in slight annoyance.

"No, you can think about it for a while." He replied evenly.

"Just answer the damn question Malfoy!" Hermione yelled.

"I said no. Deal with knowing you don't get everything you want in life, Granger!"

"Just Answer!" She yelled. And then he was stepping forward and grabbing her upper arms, his face inches from hers, he could feel her breath against his skin. Eyes flying across her face stalling on her slightly ajar lips and then flicking back up to her golden eyes searching.

"Why do you think I did it Granger?" He spat. Before turning on his heal and storming out of the classroom. Leaving Hermione alone to question what he meant.


	2. What happened to Ron Weasley

**1 HOUR BEFORE THE YULE BALL**

It had taken two hours for Hermione to get ready so far. She was currently adding final touches to her makeup when Ginny Weasley walked through the door looking as stunning as ever. Hermione's roommates had gone to the Ravenclaw tower to get ready, so no one had seen her as of yet.

"Bloody hell Hermione." Ginny stood in the doorway gaping at her.

"What? Is something wrong? Did I mess something up?" She asked starting to panic at thought, she had already spent so much time getting ready.

"No, no. You just—you look hot, Hermione."She said with the start of a smirk.

"Oh." Hermione replied face flushing a few shades darker than her blush as she turned back to her mirror.

"You are going to be the most hated girl in school tomorrow." The ginger said eying her friend like a vulture, while walking to stand behind her

"Hated? Why would I be hated?" She asked as Ginny fixed some rouge prices of her unruly curls.

"Because all of the boys, and some of the girls won't ever be able to take their eyes off of you, all their dates will hate you for stealing their spot light tonight." She said a smile tugging the corners of her mouth.

"Tch"

"Believe what you want Granger, but, you will be the prettiest girl their."

"Thanks, Gin. You look quiet stunning yourself, Neville is a lucky man." Changing the subject from herself.

"Speaking of dates," well that strategy failed, Hermione thought. "you never said who yours was." Ginny said suggestively raising her eyebrows.

"Well, I suppose you will find out soon enough. It is Viktor Krum." She replied trying to hide her cheeky grin.

"Krum!?" Ginny yelled looking taken aback. "You are going to the Ball with Victor Krum, one of the best seekers known to date, and you kept it a secret?"

"Sorry, Gin. It's just that-" she stopped taking a deep breath. "that . . . some people would react negatively and I didn't want to cause a scene."

"By some people you mean my entirely idiotic brother?" She asked raising her eyebrows and meeting Hermione's eyes in the mirror in front of her.

"Pretty much, yes." Hermione answered letting out a shaky breathe.

"Well, he is an idiot, and will feel like a complete moron when he sees you tonight. So let's put this beautiful blue dress on you and get you to your Bulgarian prince Cinderella." She said with a cheeky grin holding up Hermione's dress to help her step into it.

"It is periwinkle actually" Hermione corrected as Ginny helped sip of the back of her dress.

"Well it is stunning."

Hermione sat on the bed and slipped on her heels-she thought she might regret wearing them later, she had never liked heels. But looking at herself in the mirror they made her dress pop, she looked perfect.

"Holy shit." Ginny said breathlessly.

"What now, Ginny?"

"You just keep getting hotter and hotter" She said circling Hermione. "I mean it, it's unfair."

Hermione blushed all over looking at herself in the mirror. She did look different. She could see the curves of her bust and the pinch of her waist that flared out to the roundness that came with her hips and bum. She was taller due to the heels and her honey legs looked longer. Her facial features darkened and exaggerated due to the makeup, made her look older. Even she believed that she looked pretty, she always thought she looked average or nice, but tonight she looked lovely.

"Where are you meeting Viktor?" She asked, as Hermione started adding her earnings to her ensemble.

"Outside the Great Hall. I didn't feel like explaining how to get to the portrait." She said with a light scoff. "Where are you meeting Neville?"

"Downstairs." She replied fixing a spot on her face.

Both girls added light finishing touches to their looks, then headed out of Hermione's room, and down to the stairs to the common room. The room was empty except for Neville who turned to look at them at the entered the room.

"Wow." Neville said gaping at the two girls. "You both look absolutely stunning."

"Thank you, Neville." Hermione said reaching up and placing a light affectionate kiss on his cheek. "You look quiet handsome yourself."

He blushed red and muttered a _thanks_. While shuffling over to stand next to Ginny.

"See?" Ginny said wiggling a finger towards Hermione. "Most hated girl by tomorrow." Causing both girls to giggle, earning a bewildered look from Neville.

"I am going to use the loo. Go on ahead without me." Hermione said giving Ginny a hug.

"Alright. Remember, you look absolutely gorgeous, so don't let anyone let you believe differently." Ginny replied slightly squeezing Hermione in their embrace.

"Thanks Gin." She said as she walked away.

**EIGHT PM THE BEGINNING OF THE BALL**

Hermione turned the corner to head down the stairs by herself. Her nerves were jolting with electricity from her fingers to her toes. She looked up from the stone floor to see that everyone that was waiting out side the Hall, was gaping, glaring or just simply staring at her. She felt a flush run up her body that traveled from her chest to her face. Feeling slightly awkward just being ogled, she glanced around the people at the bottom of the stairs eyes landing on Viktor.

He had already been looking at her, but the moment their their eyes met he started striding to her, jogging up the stairs. He meet her at the top holding out his hand for her to take it. She clasped hand with him, he placed a light kiss on her knuckles. Bring his eyes back up to her.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, Hermy-own." She ignored the incorrect pronunciation due to the fact that it felt like her knees might collapse beneath her as he lead her down the stairs. She felt light headed and elated as they walked into the Great Hall. The Hall was bright a had been extensively decorated. She really did feel like Cinderella.

She could feel almost everyone's eyes on her but she didn't care. She knew she looked pretty, and she was with a boy that fancied her and could admit it, a boy that had actually asked her at a first choice. Unlike Ron, who had only thought of her as a last resort, to ask when he didn't think anyone else would say yes. Then the dancing began.

TWO HOURS INTO THE BALL

She hadn't stopped dancing since the first waltz had played. Her feet were slightly sore in her heels, the straps had begun to dig into her skin, she had a sheen of sweat across her forehead. Dancing with Viktor was nice, he always asked if he could touch her waist when they danced and would intertwine their fingers on some songs. He was easy to talk to even with the language barrier, they had similar interest in school and in life. She was having fun for what felt like the first time, in a year. Between the stress of Harry being in the TriWizardTournament and the rift between her two best friends, Hermione had been so stressed, but she felt weightless tonight.

When the song was over, Viktor leaned down and told her that he was going to go get them punch. She nodded and he walked to the other side of the room. Standing alone in the middle of the dance floor with heavy breathes she spotted Harry and Ron.

She walked over to them, when Harry caught site of her he smiled, but Ron saw her and glared at her.

"Hi" she said breathlessly.

"Hey, 'Mione." Harry replied, glancing slightly towards Ron who looked like he was bubbling with spite.

"Viktor's just gone to get some drinks" she said wearily looking at Ron, glancing back at Harry who looked less surprised by Ron's demeanor.

" _Viktor_?" Ron said. "Hasn't he asked you to call him _Vicky_ yet?"

Bewilderment and surprise flashed across Hermione's face. "What's up with you?" She asked.

"What's up with me?" He asked giving Hermione a withering glare. "What is wrong with you? He is from Durmstrang! He is competing against Hogwarts! You— you're—" he began to sputter to find the words. " _you're fraternizing with the enemy,_ and you ask what is up with me?"

"The enemy? Don't be so stupid Ron. I am not the one who was drooling over him when he go to school, I am not the one with a model of him in their dormitory." She said with hasty fervor.

"And I s'pose he asked you in the library then?"

"Yes, he did." She said "what does it matter?"

"It matters because he is Harry'a opponent, he knows who you are friend with." He said voice growing louder. "How many time has he asked about Harry tonight?"

"Not once," she said growing red with rage. " he hasn't even mentioned the tournament, all we have talked about is school and— why am I even explaining this to you? I don't need you to approve of my company." She said turning her voice deadly cold, then pivoting on her toes and heading back to Viktor.

"Herm-own-ninny zhere you are!" Viktor said loudly handing her a drink.

"Yeah, sorry." She said taking a gulp of punch. "I went to go say 'Hello' to Harry and Ron."

"Are they enjoying zhemselvs?" Viktor ask.

"Yes." Taking another gulp.

Viktor opened his mouth to say something else but Hermione cut him off . "I would rather we not talk about them right now." She said quickly.

"Zhen let's dance!" He shouted grabbing the drink from her and putting it on the closest table the pulling her back onto the dance floor making her flash a wide smile at his overwhelming kindness.

**MIDNIGHT**

Viktor had left to go to the loo, a few minutes after midnight. Hermione realized she felt a little buzzed, but hadn't drank any alcohol. Then it clicked, Fred and George must have spiked the punch, they would do something like that as a 'prank'.

Looking around the hall from the dance floor she noticed about half of the other students had left already while most of the remaining where either dancing or just sitting.

Still looking around the room she made eye contact with Ron. He must have noticed that she was alone because he was then stalking towards her, looking angry as ever.

"Why did you come with him, 'Mione?" He asked almost seething.

"Because he asked Ron, he thought ahead, and didn't just expect that I wouldn't have anyone to ask me, something you failed to think of." She shot back at him.

"Like that is the real reason that he came here with you." He whispered just loud enough for her to hear.

"What the fuck is that supposed to-" she cut off seeing Viktor walking back into the hall looking around for her. "This is not over. Stay here. I will be back in a moment." She bite out through clenched teeth walking past him towards Viktor.

"Hermy-own" he said, his face light up with a smile as he saw her.

"Viktor, I am terribly sorry to do this to you, but I think the punch was spiked and I don't do well with the after affects alcohol, so I think would just be best if I leave now." She said trying to bring forward a face of slight discomfort to prove her excuse.

"Oh, I am so sorry Herm-inn-ime. Is there anything I can do to help?" He asked with a genuine look of concern. She felt bad for leaving him, but her night was ruined by Ron and she didn't want to just drag him along in her pity party.

"No, I can take care of myself I think." She said shifting the her weight between her feet slightly before turning and striding away towards Ron.

When she was about five meters away form Ron she glanced over her should yo make sure Viktor was not looking at her. He wasn't, he was now talking to a tipsy looking Professor Flitwick. Once she reached Ron she grabbed him by his wrist and pulled out of the Great Hall and down a few corridors before she dropped his wrist and turned to face him.

"What was that supposed to mean?" She asked shaking with rage. _Why did he always have to ruin things?_ She thought.

"What was what supposed mean?" He asked, giving her an over dramatic face of confusion.

"Oh don't give me that shit you know exactly what I mean." She spat voice rising. "What you said in there" hand brandishing in the general direction from were they came from. "What you said about Viktor asking me to the ball, what did you mean?"

"Everyone knows why he asked you Hermione!" He shouted at her.

"Why? Because he likes me?" She shout back.

"If you think he really likes you Hermione, you have gone mad." He said before turning to go around a corner.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She questioned while she followed him around the corner and up a few stairs.

"It means he is Viktor Krum, Triwizard tournament campion, and youngest Bulgarian seeker. He could have chosen anyone but he choose you, it certainly wasn't because of your blood status or your looks." Ron yelled brandishing towards Hermione's figure. "It was a strategy, he asked you because you are Harry Potters best friend, he probably thought that you would let something slip while you were with him. That is why he asked you."

Hermione's was angry. Very, very angry.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME RONALD WEASLEY!" Hermione shouted at the top of her lungs feeling tears start to prickle in her eyes.

"Gladly!" Ron yelled right back before tuning and storming away in the direction of the Great Hall.

Hermione let out a strangled sob as she crumbled to the floor crying she peeled of her heels in frustration finding more pain when the cold air hit her skin but she did care. All she thought about were Ron's words. _How could he say that? How could he be so cruel?_ Hermione thought as she sobbed into her lap not hearing the shuffled sound of foot steps walking past her. _He had always said that he never cared about her blood status, that it didn't mean anything to him._ She just kept sobbing into her arms till she heard the light padding of foot steps coming closer, she figured that it was Harry coming to find her and see if she was alright but she was surprised when she looked to see Malfoy standing in front of her. He had the fading marks of a smile on his face, she looked at him as he stood before her in expensive looking dress robes. She hadn't even seen him at the ball she was so pre occupied with Viktor and Ron to notice anyone else.

He looked relatively attractive standing there. _When did Malfoy grow up and become handsome?_ a thought that Hermione hated but, Malfoy looked handsome. His hair wasn't greasy looking anymore like it was back when they were eleven years old, he must have had a growth spurt too because he also looked taller than before, he was still relatively skinny but had filled out a little bit more than either Ron or Harry had.

When she glanced back up at his face she saw that the fading smile he had worn before was entirely gone. Now, he looked furious, no beyond furious. He just stood there eyes flicking across her face. Then without any word he turned around head back into the direction of the hall.

Not wanting to anyone else to see her distraught state, Hermione slowly stood up grabbing her heels walking up the steps of the stairs towards Gryffindor tower.

Entering the common room Hermione was glad to see that there were only small groups of people left shuffling about the room. Hermione quickly dashed passed her fellow Gryffindors into the girls side of the dorms, she waddled up the stairs on sore and frozen feet all the way up to her dorm.

Looking into her mirror, Hermione saw that her hair had begun to become frizzy again and her mascara along with her eyeshadow had been running down her face now dried to her cheeks in an ugly smear of colors. She sighed exasperated from the nights events. Waving her wand across her face she roved every last bit of makeup. Then Hermione used the reversing charm for the potion on her hair. Hermione's once tame and sleek mane now stand on end, unruly frizzy curls flowing just past her shoulders.

Hermione then slipped off her dress and changed into her cotton pajama set. Drawing in to bed drawing the curtains of her four poster Hermione fell into a dreamless sleep almost immediately.

**9 AM THE NEXT DAY**

Hermione woke with a start as she heard a familiar voice yelling her name, before the curtains of her bed opened and flooded her with light that burned into the back of her eyelids.

"Ginny, what time is it?" Hermione asked groggily trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"9 AM" she said sounding very chipper.

"It is 9 already? I feel like I had just shut my eyes." She said finally being able to look at her friend with out a painful stark flash of white crossing her vision.

"Here." Ginny said shoving a mug into Hermione's hand, looking down to see a coffee she smiled slightly.

"Thanks." She mumbled taking a sip of coffee before looking back up at Ginny. "Now, is there a reason that you woke me up?"

"Oh, yeah how could I forget" Ginny said smacking her for head lightly. "May I?" She asked gesturing towards the end of the bed.

Hermione quickly nodded, adjusting herself to lean against her head board while Ginny arranged herself at the end of Hermione's bed.

"Last night you left the ball before Ron, right?" She asked and Hermione cringed remembering last nights events and Ron's meanness.

"Kinda. I left with him but then I think he went back into the Great Hall." Hermione said.

"Well, when this happened you weren't there or you would have been livid with Malfoy." The redhead said.

"Wait, Malfoy. What happened?"

"I was getting to that" she replied before taking a sip from her mug. "After you had left Ron came back inside to our table babbling on about how you were crazy or something then out of nowhere Malfoy showed up. He just seemed to appear out of thin air. He called Ron's name then when he got close enough he just punched him square in the jaw." Hermione gasped.

"Yeah, it was pretty bad. He just kept hitting him till Viktor pulled him off but he broke free and hit Ron again in the stomach. He said something to Ron after that but no one heard what he said. It was . . . quiet crazy." Ginny took another sip from her mug then continued. "Afterwards he just stormed out of the Great Hall. We all had to go back to our common rooms after but Ron went to the medical wing last night but showed up this morning still with two black eyes and bruising on his jaw and nose. Ron said that Madam Pomfrey tried to remove them but they just would heal all the way."

"Wow." Hermione muttered. "Does anyone know why?"

"Nope. No one has seen him since, Ron went to Dumbledore apparently, to ask for Malfoy's _punishment_ " she said rolling her eyes. "Ron was even more mad when Dumbledore told him that Malfoy would only get a week of detention with Snape."

Hermione's mind was going crazy as she put the price of the previous night together. Malfoy had gone to beat up Ron after he saw her crying on the stairs. She was still thinking about the reasoning behind Malfoy's actions when a thought crossed her mind. _What did Ron look like right now?_ And that settled her next question for Ginny.

"Where is Ron?"

"Downstairs, regaling anyone with ears to listen to his tragic story." Ginny replied rolling her eyes again. "He thinks he is some hero now because he got the shit beat out of him by Malfoy."

"Well," Hermione said standing up and straightening her pajamas out. "I am going to go see him now." Trying to hide her smile imaging what Ron looked like right now.

"Alright, I come with." Ginny said standing as well fixing her own pajama shirt.

As the two girls walked down the stairs with their coffee, they could hear a familiar booming voice. Stepping into the common room, Hermione saw a crowd of girls circling Ron while he was animatedly telling a story that involved a lot of swinging limbs. But he stopped when he caught site of the two girls. That was when Hermione saw his face, it felt even better than she imagined seeing him all bruised and red with knuckle marks on his jaw. She had to to bite back the grin she felt plastering onto her face.

"'Mione! Hey! Your up. You are never going to believe what happened last night." He said striding over to her and Ginny.

_He wasn't even going to apologize for what he said last night?_ _Has he forgotten or just thought that it didn't matter?_ She thought to herself while he started telling the story but she cut him off.

"Gin has already told me thank you very much." She said waving him off and turning back to the girls dorm hallway but, she was stopped by a hand closing around her wrist.

"'Mione were are you going I was getting to the good part." Ron whined.

"Like I said, Ginny already told me. I don't feel like listening to you regale us with a half-assed story that makes you look like a hero for getting the shit beat out of you." She said releasing her arm from his grip. "Besides it's not like you didn't deserve it after all that crap you told me last night."

"Come on 'Mione you can't still be mad about that?" He asked grabbing her shoulders. "I didn't mean any of it, you know that." 

"No Ron, I don't know that." Hermione snapped backing out of his grasp "You were mean for no reason last night. You said the only reason Viktor asked be to the ball was because he wanted information about Harry! And then justified your reason for saying that by claiming he wouldn't have chosen me because I am a Muggle-born and he would want to go out with me because I was a _Muggle-born._ " Ginny gasped at what Hermione said then glared at her older brother.

Hermione threw one more intense glare back at Ron before turning and head back up to her dorm. She was shaking with anger when she reached her room so she slammed the door behind her putting up a strong locking charm, she did not want to be disturbed. She grabbed her towel and went into the bathroom to take a scolding hot shower, Hermione wanted to remove all the events of the the last twenty-four hours by scrubbing her skin raw.

She stood in the shower for almost and hour, so when she got out her skin had a pink glow and her fingers had stared to wrinkle. She casts a drying spell on her hair, then put on her muggle denims and a pale pink sweater along with fuzzy socks to keep away the cold.

She stayed in her room for almost two hours reading and doing homework to distract herself from her life. She soon realized to complete her next assignment she needed a book from the library. She stood, put on her shoes then grabbed her wand to remove the locking spell.

She walked down the stairs, though the common room and towards the library. On her way she passed several groups of students she didn't think much of them, until she saw a flash of white blonde in the distance, Malfoy.

She had not even thought about seeing him on her way to the library, but now she was curious, she wanted to know why he did what he did. She was in no way mad at him for hitting Ron but that would be any easy excuse for yelling at him, and asking him why he did it.

She adjusted her path and headed straight to him. He looked slightly panicked and was trying to get away from her. _Good_. She thought. _Make him squirm._

"What the fuck is wrong with you Malfoy?!" She yelled at him. He looked slightly flustered but stopped trying to get away. He didn't answer. She did what she thought might get his attention and thrust her hands hard in to his chest.

"What the FUCK is wrong with you Malfoy?!" She repeated slamming her palms into him again.

He was looking around. _Why was he looking around? Was he looking for help?_ Hermione thought but then she let out a squeal of surprise when two hands clasped of her wrist and dragged her into a nearby class room.

Malfoy had dropped her wrist, so she began to slap at him again. She wanted an answer and need to get him talking, angering him seemed like the easiest way.

He grabbed her wrist again. "Stop!" He shouted. But she broke free and hit him again. Now he was mad. "Would you just- STOP! For Merlins sake woman stop hitting me!" He yelled in her face, tightening the hold on her wrist to an almost painful pressure when she tried to break free again.

"Fine! Just let me go!" She yelled back slightly clenching her teeth from the pain. He released her wrist and she stumbled backwards rubbing her wrist together to relieve some of the tension in her skin. Straightening up she realized they were less than a foot apart so she backed away.

"Is there a bloody reason you attacked me in the middle of the hallway?" He questioned her.

"You beat up Ron!" She yelled bringing her mind back to her original plan.

"Yes, I did." He said smugly. "But why are _you_ attacking me?" He shot back.

Hermione stalled but only for a moment before she replied. "He is my friend and you broke his nose." she said smiling internally, but narrowing her eyes at him.

"Your _friend_ is an arse." He said bluntly.

"That doesn't mean you can beat the shit out of him!"

"So you agree?" Malfoy said raising is eyebrows.

"Agree?" She asked, she didn't remember him making a statement. "Agree about what?"

"Agree that Weasley is and arse." He said eying her up and down, almost sizing her up.

"I . . . what . . ." Ron was an arse but she could let Malfoy know that. "no"

"You don't seem too sure about that answe Granger." He said slowly stepping towards her. He was trying to scare her.

"You still shouldn't have hit him." She bit out trying to navigate back to the topic she wanted to discuss.

"Well, he needed to be taught a lesson." His voice lowered and he moved another step closer. She didn't back down, she was getting somewhere.

"And what lesson is that?" She asked moving her hands to her hips, she was poking the bear.

"To not make girls cry when they look so pretty." He answered lowering his voice even more, he was about a foot away now.

"W-what?" She stuttered not expecting the honesty or the answer.

He stopped talking. He just stood in front of her, staring down at her. She hadn't known that their difference in height was so much, he was a good 5-6 inches taller than her 5'3 self.

"W-why did you hit him?" She asked. Now she need to know, or she would just think about it for days.

"Now that, Granger is something you don't get to know." He was backing down. Anger started bubbling beneath her skin.

"Tell me." She said raising her voice, meeting is pale grey eyes.

"No, you can think about it for a while." That was what she wanted to avoid, thinking, so her voice went even higher in volume.

"Just answer the damn question Malfoy!" She yelled almost wanting to hit him again.

"I said no. Deal with knowing you don't get everything thing you want in life, Granger!"

"Just ANSWER!" She yelled.

The next the she knew he was close again, scary close. He had grabbed her arms and his face was only inched from hers. She could smell the mint on his breathe and the teakwood in his cologne. He just stood there for a moment eyes flitting around her face, her stomach fluttered slightly when his eyes paused on her lips but then he looked back up to her.

"What did you think I meant." He spat before turning around quickly and throwing the door open to walk out of the room leaving the book he had from the library behind.

_That didn't help_. Hermione thought not moving, she hadn't noticed the book yet. She thought

about what he said for a few minutes before snapping out of her trance and going to leave the classroom. She stalled when she saw a book on one of the desks. It wasn't a text book it was a library book. Hermione hadn't noticed if Malfoy had a book with him when he came in the classroom but when she flipped open the front page that had the magical stamp claiming:

_Book belongs to Hogwarts library:_

_Currently checked out to Draco L. Malfoy_


	3. Daigon Ally

**The summer of 1998**

Hermione was 18 years old, the brightest witch of her age, and the Wizarding Worlds Golden Girl. But that she as all she felt like sometimes, just a girl. A girl that fought in a war for people that barely accepted her, most of the Wizarding community still didn't accept her, even after she was given the 'Order of Merlin' and the Queen had given her 'Damehood'. It was all so tiring, she just wanted to have a normal day or even a normal life, she loved Harry and Ron but somedays wondered if she had been sorted into a different house or even made different friends would the world have turned out differently? But, she could not change the past, she just had to live in her new world.

It was two weeks until school started again and Hermione still had a lot of things to get done. She still hadn't gotten her books yet and she hadn't started packing until this morning. Normally, Hermione would have gotten her books in early July and would have been packed by the first week of August, but she was distracted, until this morning that is.

McGonagall had owled her this morning to ask if she would take the position of Head Girl.McGonagall said that if Hermione turned down the position it would fall to Ginny. When Hermione had asked Ginny if she would want to be Head Girl, Ginny had laughed outright surprising Hermione. Then Ginny went to babble on about how she wouldn't have the time. 'I am the Gryffindor quidditch captain, and I am already a prefect, I don't need anymore responsibilities.' She remembered Ginny say.

Hermione had written back to McGonagall that afternoon to agree, that yes, she would take up her post of Head Girl, then she inquired to who the Head boy was going to be considering that neither Ron or Harry were going back to Hogwarts. She hadn't heard a response back yet but expected to soon.

Later in the evening and Hermione was outside the Burrow leaning against the porch railing with a book in her hand. His book in her hand. She had kept the book for four years. She didn't know why she kept it all this time but it gave her a sense of comfort in all the chaos of the last few years. Thinking to loudly in her own head she hadn't heard the person calling her name but when she felt the hand on her shoulder she almost jumped a foot in the air. Looking to see who the hand was attached to, she released a shaky breath.

"Sorry, 'Mione. I didn't mean to scare you, Charlie and I were coming out for a smoke. Want to join?" George asked holding out cigarette to Hermione.

"I . . . a- sure. Why not?" She replied, trying to calm her racing heart, while grabbing the stick from him.

Hermione spent most of her time over the summer at court hearings, interviews, or with George and Charlie. They didn't pry, or ask how she was doing they just let her be, they all understood each others feelings. George had lost his best friend/twin to loosing Fred, Charlie hadn't made it out of Romania in time for the final battle, so he took Fred's death personally.

Following the two boys around to the back side of the Burrow- Molly didn't like them smoking anywhere near the house. Once they reached a spot that couldn't be seen when looking out of the kitchen window all three put the stick in their mouths and lit them up with the tips of their wands taking long draws letting the spiced smoke race towards their lungs. Hermione had gotten her wand back 3 days after the war ended, which seemed uncomfortably quick considering the state of the Wizarding Government, but, she was the 'Golden Girl' wasn't she?

She had picked smoking, but didn't do it constantly. Maybe once or twice every other week, and only ever with George and Charlie. After about twenty minutes it began to get dark outside, so the three silently walked inside to the kitchen.

Walking inside it was bright, and smelled like roast beef. Hermione's mouth watered at she took a breathe through her nose. One of her favorite things about staying at the Burrow was how good the food had always tasted. She smiled lightly as she walked into the living room were Harry, Ginny, and Ron were having a very animated conversation about quidditch. When she walked in to the room Ron looked up at her, he had his stupid wide smirk plastered on his face.

Despite telling him that she wasn't ready for a relationship after their ' incident' in the Chamber of Secrets, Ron still seemed to think that she would take one look at him someday and swoon, it made made her grown internally. But then he stood up directing his path towards her, that action made Hermione want to scowl.

"Hey, Herms!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione cringed at the new nickname that Ron had come up, she never really liked the nickname ' 'Mione' but put up with it because 'Hermione' was a long name to stay. However 'Herms' made her slightly throw up in her mouth, it almost sounded like the abbreviation of a disease of sorts.

"Ron." She said, with a curt nod, while moving away from the arm he was about to put around her shoulders, and directing her way through the room to take his old seat on the couch next to Ginny.

"Hey Hermione." Ginny and Harry said in unison.

"Hey" she said. "What are you two talking about?"

"Quidditch stuff. You probably would like it." Ginny replied giving her a faint smile. "But, now that you are here I have a few things I want to ask."

"Ok, shoot."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go to Diagonally with me and Harry tomorrow. I need school stuff and Harry has some supplies for auoror training. I figured you hadn't gone yet." Hermione wanted to correct her friends grammar but thought better of and simply replied.

"I would love to." Hermione smiled warmly. "I need some new robes too, if you don't mind going clothes shopping."

"You and I can while Harry inevitably goes to look at the quidditch shop." Ginny said rolling her eyes and glancing at her boyfriend.

"It is settled then." Harry said, slapping his hands on his knees and standing up to head into the kitchen quickly followed by Ron.

"Hey, Herms there is a letter from McGonagall for you in here." Called the familiar voice of Ron.

So Hermione got up and headed into the crowed kitchen snatching the letter from Ron's hands before sitting down at the table next to Charlie. She opened the letter to read.

_Dear,_

_Hermione_

_I am so glad that you have accepted the roll of Head Girl. As am sure you know that means you will have a privet room with a shared common space for you and your male counter, the Head Boy. As to answer your inquiry about the identity of the Head Boy I have not made a decision just yet._

_I wish you all the best, I am looking forward to see you soon._

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Hogwarts Headmistress_

_August 10, 1998_

Hermione closed the letter after reading two times over. She wished she knew the identity of the person she was supposed to be living with for almost eight months, but didn't fret over it much.

"Dinner is ready" exclaimed an animated Mrs. Weasley.

Everyone begun shuffling around getting their dinner. Hermione sat in between George and Charlie, like she had since the first week of summer to avoid conversations with the rest of the table.

When dinner was finished Harry, Ron, George and Charlie went outside for a quidditch scrimmage. Normally, Ginny would have joined them but tonight she decided she wanted start packing her things for school with Hermione.

Hermione and Ginny walked up the stairs to their shared room going over their mental list with each other.

"Quills"

"#18 Puter cauldron"

"Advance Arithmancy text book"

"Advance Transfiguration text book"

Once they entered their room Hermione acciod a price of parchment and a quick quotes quill to make list of the supplies they need to pack and what they needed to buy. The girls had been chatting lightly about Ginny and Harry's relationship for a while until Ginny said something about Hermione and Ron's.

"So, how are you and Ron doing ' _Herms_ '?" Ginny asked moving her eyebrows suggestively.

"God! I hate that Fucking nickname! Why couldn't he just call me 'Mione' or hell, call my real name for Merlins sake!" Hermione yelled startling Ginny. "Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. It's just that-" She cut off talking a long calming breathe. "I was fine with being called 'Mione, it used to bother me but I got used to it overtime. But 'Herms' sounds like a goddamn abbreviation for some kind of disease." She added rolling her eyes.

"You should tell him that it bothers you." Ginny replied with a sad smile. "He is not good at picking up emotions."

"I know I should but, I don't want to make him mad or upset him. I think I really let him down when I said I didn't want to date after the Chambers thing and I just don't want to upset him anymore." Hermione replied, as she sat on her bed.

"Don't feel bad Hermione." Ginny said crossing the room to sit next to her. "He is a big boy. If he can't deal with it that it is his issue not yours. You don't have to protect him forever." Hermione let out a chuckle.

"I have protected and looked out for those boys since I was eleven, I don't know how not to." She said sadly.

"I know" Ginny said putting her hand on top of Hermione's. "But now you need look out for yourself, Hermione. They will survive."

"Will they though?" Hermione asked as playfully as she could, trying to light the mood.

"Yes, and if they don't, then they can learn how to fall on their faces, just like everyone else." She said with a smile standing up to start packing again, naming off the things she needed still.

After a moment Hermione stood and did the same. They kept the conversations for the rest of the night light and as far away from Ron as possible. When they finally decided to go to sleep Hermione had packed half of the things she need to, and had a list of all the supplies she would need from Diagonally.

————————

The next day when Hermione woke the sun was warmly shinning on her face. She sat up in bed to see Ginny had already gotten up. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes Hermione went to her dresser to pick out her clothes, she chose a pair of light blue baggy denims, a black t-shirt, and a pair of black boots.

After she changed she threw her hair into a messy knot at the top of her head. She glanced at the family clock to see that Ron, George, and Charlie had gone to Weasley Wizards Weezes'.

She walked into the kitchen to see Ginny and Harry sitting together at the table reading the Daily Prophet. They both looked up when she entered the room.

"Morning" they said.

"Morning." Hermione replied making her way to the coffee machine and poring herself a cup. "What time do you want to go to Daigon?"

"Probably about 15-20 minutes of that is fine with you?" Ginny suggested.

"That is fine." She answered sitting down at the table and picking up a discarded part of the Prophet. They sat in silence reading until Harry checked his watch.

"Right, I am going to brush my teeth then we can leave." He said.

"Okay" both girls said. They had both already been upstairs to brush their teeth and grab their bags, they had just been waiting on Harry.

When Harry came back down they all grabbed their coats and flooed to the Leaky Cauldron. Making their way into Daigon they went to Flourish and Blotts, Scribbulus, Amanuensis Quills, the Apothecary, and Potage's Cauldron Shop. Along the way all three had been stopped several times by wizards and witches alike for autographs and pictures. Finally, when they all got the supplies they needed for school, Harry went to Quality Quidditch Supplies while Ginny and Hermione went to Madam Malkin's for new robes.

The girls had finish inside the robe fitting fairly quickly. Both knowing that Harry would spend at least another 30 minutes in the quidditch shop they began to wonder aimlessly, until a store caught Ginny's eye, before Hermione knew it she was being dragged into a small shop call Lady Maxine's Lingerie. Once inside Hermione saw what the store carried, she flushed red all over and tried to back away from Ginny, but the grip on her wrist was too tight.

"Gin what are we doing in here?" Hermione whisper yelled to her friend.

"I wanted to look. Mom never let me come in here when I was younger." She said looking around the store.

"I can see why." Hermione mumble looking around the store.

Looking at the walls and hangers Hermione saw varying shades of silk, satin, lace, and velvet lingerie. Matching sets of braziers to knickers, to full-on outfits.

"Hello," came a voice off to the right of them. "I am Lady Maxine. Do you have any idea what you are looking for, or are you just browsing?"

"Oh erm, hello." Ginny replied tentatively. "I um actually, I think we might need some help." She said glancing around at the store.

"Oh, I love helping. Do you both want a few things," gesturing her hand in between the two girls. " or just one of you?"

"Both of us please." Ginny said as she glared at Hermione, who looked like she was about to protest.

"Lovely. Let's start with some sets." Lady Maxine walked the two around the store pointing out lace and silk options of varying colors. Ginny had already picked out two sets for herself and three sets for Hermione. It wasn't until they were about to checkout that Hermione saw a set that caught her eye.

"What about that one?" She asked pointing to the set.

"Oh that one is lovely isn't it?" Lady Maxine said. "It is a very fine lace, with a medium amount of coverage, and the matching knickers are of the same material."

"I think I will get that one as well." she said as she smiled.

"What a lovely choice."

"I love the color." Hermione said.

"Yes, I do believe periwinkle would look amazing on your skin." She said as she began to ring up their purchases.

The two girls left the shop giggling and giddy at their purchases. Hermione felt like a stupid teenage girl for what felt like the first time in years. They met up with Harry in front of the quidditch shop.

"There are my two favorite girls" he said ginning at them as the walked up giggling. "What are you two so giddy about?"

"Just girl stuff." Ginny said giggling even more.

"Well I was thinking, if we aren't going anywhere important after this, we could stop at Frotescue's for some ice cream?"

"Oh, ice cream sounds lovely right now!" Ginny said looking to Hermione who just nodded.

They had been eating their ice cream for about fifteen minutes when Hermione realized she forgot to get her Arithmancy formulas book. She politely excused herself from her two friend and walked to Flourish and Blotts. Stepping into the store, she immediately walked to the Arithmancy section, it was in a dark back corner.

She was looking at one shelf that did not have the books she was looking for, so she turned the corner to look at the other shelf and crashed hard into another body.

"I- sorry. I didn't see you there." She said quickly stepping back looking up at the person she ran into gasping slightly.

"No, sorry. I didn't see you coming. It is my fault Granger." Theodore Nott said hastily.

". . . Nott?" She asked. This boy certainly looked similar to Theodore Nott but sounded completely different. Nott would never apologize to me over something so trivial at bumping into someone. Hermione thought.

"Erm, yes." He replied.

"Hey! Theo did you say you were taking advanced Arithmancy or-" the girl cut off as he reached Nott's side and saw Hermione. "Granger?"

"Parkinson" Hermione replied with a nod.

There was an awkward almost palatable silence that floated between the three of them. Until Hermione registered what Pansy had been asking before she had cut off.

"Are you two going back to Hogwarts this year?" She asked breaking the silence.

"Erm, yes all three of us are." Pansy replied.

"Three?" Hermione asked having only seen the two of them.

"Oh, yes. Blaise is going back as well he is upstairs looking at the advanced herbology book I believe." She said flamboyantly gesturing towards the ceiling.

"Well that is-" Hermione was cut off.

"Hermi- get away from her!" She heard the annoyingly familiar voice of Ron before she was being yanked backwards behind him.

"What are you-" she asked but Ron started yelling.

"You two better get away from her or I swear-"

"Ron, what are you doing?!" Hermione yelled at him breaking free of his grasp to see that he had his wand pointed between Theo and Pansy. "Ronald Weasley put your wand down!"

"Mione, but they are-"

"We are what, Weasel?" Pansy shot in this time.

"Don't talk to me like-" the ginger started.

"Ron put down your fucking wand or I will take it from you." Hermione said almost growling her voice was so low.

"Hermione?" He asked sounding almost hurt.

"Now!" She bellowed and he dropped his arm down to his side looking at her with growing rage.

"What is your issue 'Mione?"

"First, don't call me 'Mione, second the issue is you just pointed your wand at two people with no reason in a store full of people not to mention-" she brandishing her arm around "this store is also filled with children!"

"So you are protecting them?!" He yelled waving his hand towards Pansy and Theo.

"Did you not just hear what I said? Are you seriously that thick? This store is full of children, and you decide to point your wand at them for not apparent reason, so yes, I guess I am protecting them." Hermione said moving slightly in between Ron and the two Slytherin's while crossing her arms over her chest.

"They are Death Eaters!" He yelled way too loudly for the situation causing Hermione to gasp slightly feeling more anger sear into her.

"All Death Eaters are in Azkaban, Ron." She said stepping into his personal space. "Now you need to leave or I will make you leave." She said whispering with enough animosity to make a Hippogryff cower.

Ron sneared at the three of them before turning on his heel and storming out of the store I a toddler having a temper tantrum. Hermione took a few calming breaths before turning to look at Theo and Pansy.

"Sorry about that, he was totally out of line in saying those things about you two. I have to get going but, I hope to see you both at school." She said with a weak smile before grabbing the book she was looking for on the shelf and quickly walking away to the check out register.

Once checked out Hermione walked back to Fortescue's growing anger at Ron and his behavior. Once she arrived at the table to see Ron was already their seething from what Hermione could see. What did he have to be mad about? He almost attacked two people in a store full of other people. Hermione thought. As she walked up to the three people.

Taking all the calm she had in her, Hermione walked up to the table silently grabbing her bags lifting them and turning to walk away when a hand grabbed onto her arm, she whirled around to come face to face with Ron. Her nose was only 5 inches away from his.

"Take you hands off of me right now Ronald or you won't have any hands." She bit out. "And if you want to discuss what in Merlins name pushed you to enact that stunt you pulled in the Flourish and Blotts, I would be happy to, but not hear. I prefer to yell at you when we are not in public."

She broke free of his grasp and head straight to The Leaky Cauldron throwing a handful of Floo powder into one of the fire places Hermione walked into the neon green flames yelling the Burrows address.


	4. Since fourth year

Hermione bolted through the fire place at the Burrow heading straight for her room. Throwing the bags on the bed her breathing was heavy, she couldn't believe the nerve of Ron. _He really wanted to discuss what had happened in the middle of bustling Daigon Ally. Was he delusional?_ She thought.

She stood in her and Ginny's room pacing, for almost 20 minutes until I the familiar roar of the fireplace trailed through the air. Hermione burst out of the room and headed straight down the stairs.

She saw a very angry, red face Ron, Harry standing next to him pinching the bridge of his nose, and Ginny glaring at Ron. Once she stepped onto the landing all eyes flew to her. Hermione stalked straight to Ron, thrusting her palms angrily into his shoulders shoving backwards.

"What the hell is wrong with you Ron!" She yelled.

"Wrong with me what is wrong with-"

"I wasn't done." she cut him off. "You took your wand out in a store jam-packed with people- especially this close to the start of term!" Pushing him again. "And you pointed your wand at two completely innocent people, that I had been having a discussion with under the pretense of 'protecting me'."

"I was protecting you, Hermione! They are Death Eaters and it would have been two against one! You should be glad I came!"

"Glad?!" Hermione yelled. "Glad!" She scoffed. "Glad about what exactly? The way you didn't listen to me when I said to put your wand down because they weren't going to do anything. Or glad that you called them Death Eaters straight to their faces?"

"They are Death Eater Hermione, you know that!" Ron yelled voice getting higher.

"No they aren't Ron! Even if they were, do you think the best coarse of action would have been dueling them in a store of people that are still terrified Voldemort is going to come crawling out of the ground one day?" She was seething and yelling even louder than Ron. "And as for that bullshit 'protecting me' thing-"

"It wasn't Bullshit, I was trying to protect you!" Ron bellowed cutting Hermione off.

"Oh, please you are full of it. Do you remember how many times I have saved your ass from dying?" She said jamming a finger into his chest. "Both of you?" She added glancing at Harry. "If I weren't here with you two, you both would have been killed about 20 times over." She said lowering her voice. "Don't go around justifying your hatred for other people by say that is was for protecting me."

"Why are you protecting them? They tried to kill us!" Ron yelled as he pushed Hermione away.

"They never tried to kill us!"

"Yes they did, they are Death Eaters!"

"They were kids, we were all kids!" She said waving her hand around the room. "They didn't have a choice Ron! It was work for Voldemort or have you and your entire family killed. And I know you know that because you sat at every one of there trails. You saw their memories." Hermione said tears of anger growing in her eyes. "We were all just kids forced to take the role of adults. Just because they didn't fight for 'our side' doesn't mean that it made their lives any easier, Ron." She spat.

"But they killed people Hermione!"

"If they had really killed people they wouldn't be out of Azkaban! You are NOT the Wizengamot! You don't get to just say that they killed people just because you don't like them!" She yelled back.

"They are the reason Fred is dead! Don't go around say that they are innocent, they were on the side that killed people. So yes, Hermione, I do think they are murders because they did kill people." Ron yelled tears filling his eyes. "They did that to you!" He added pointing at her arm.

"You are unbelievable, you know that, Ron." She said stepping away crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes, you lost Fred, we all lost Fred, but you still have your family. You can pity yourself all you want-" She spat. " but don't you dare claim that your life is so much harder because a madwomen carved something into my arm. My arm."

"You don't that affected me too? Affected Harry? Then you go and shut us all out after the war, shut me out? We kissed in the Chamber of Secrets 'Mione, then you said you weren't ready to be in a relationship, so I backed off, but it has been three months." He said stepping forward, making Hermione step back. "I just want to be with you."

"Yea? Well maybe, I don't want to be with you, Ron. Maybe you bring up every bad memory of the last almost 8 years of my life. Maybe I feel like I am being suffocated when I am with you. Maybe we just don't work!" She yelled. _Is this why he pulled that shit in the store, because he wants to be with me? No, that is complete bull. He just hates them_. Hermione thought.

"W-what?" Ron croaked.

"I don't want to be with you, Ron."

"But, we have liked each other for years and now you want to say that you don't want to be with me anymore that is bloody stupid."

"Ron." Ginny said speaking up for the first time.

"What Gin?" He said wiping towards Ginny. "Am I wrong?"

"Yes." Hermione said flatly. "You are wrong. I think I stopped liking you back in fourth year."

"You- what?" Ron asked.

"I stopped liking you back in fourth year." Hermione said stepping away even further from Ron.

"Then why did you kiss me? Why did that happen? Why did you lead me on?" Ron asked tossing his arms up at his sides.

"First, you kissed me. Second, I didn't try to lead you on if you read more into it that is not my fault." Hermione said defensively.

"Really? Really Hermione? That is bullshit. If you felt that way you should have told me."

"I did tell you. I told you I didn't want a relationship. It is not my fault that you were still holding onto

hope that I would one day realize that I loved you."Hermione said rolling her eyes.

"Mione." Harry spoke up.

Everyone looked at him. Ron in hope of back up, Hermione in the hope that Harry would stay neutral, and Ginny with a glare that could kill a flobber worm it was so deadly.

"Maybe you two should take a breather?" He said looking between the two.

"Fine." Hermione murmured while Ron just nodded.

Ginny led Hermione up the stairs to their room, while Harry and Ron stayed downstairs. Once inside the room Ginny shut the door muttering a muffling charm. Hermione sat down on her bed dazed and light head.

"Well." Ginny broke the silence.

"Yea"

"When I said you should tell him how you feel I didn't thing you would actually do it" Ginny mumbled.

"I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just- I didn't know what to say. I was mad because he had been ready to fight Parkinson and Nott in Flourish and Blotts. But then he stared taking about our relationship and I- it just all came out. I didn't realize what I was saying until it had already been said." Hermione said shaking her head.

"Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" Hermione asked.

"What you said about not liking Ron in fourth year?"

"I think so, yea." She gulped. "Ever since the Yule Ball, when- when he said all that crap about my blood and Viktor, I realized he saw like most of the wizarding world did, a 'muggle-born witch' instead of just a 'witch'." Hermione sighed.

Then there was a light tapping on the door. Ginny walked over muttering something about it probably being Harry, but when she opened the door it was Charlie.

"Is Hermione in their?" Charlie asked.

"I- erm yes?" Ginny replied to her older brother, opening the door to allow him entrance.

"Mione, Hey." He said walking into the room. "George and I were going down the road to the tattoo shop. You want to come with?"

"I- erm, sure." She said looking around. "I just need to find my purse, I will meet you two downstairs."

"Right, see you in a minute." Charlie called behind him as he turned to walk out of the room. The instant his foot left the threshold Ginny shut the door.

"Are you sure about leaving, Hermione?" Ginny asked tentatively.

"I will be fine Gin." She let out a breath. "I had been planning to go with them again anyway, I had just forgot in all the chaos. George had asked me a few days ago."

"Ok" the red head said as Hermione walked out the door to their room.

Hermione jostled down the stairs when she heard slightly muffled voices coming from the living room. She stopped moving to listen. She recognized the two voices of George and Ron, and they seemed to be arguing. She crept down the stairs to listen to their conversation.

"Ron, come on. What did you expect, that she stayed away from you because she was madly in love with you?" She heard George say.

"Shut your mouth! You have no idea what you are taking about." Ron's voice cracked on the last word.

"No, Ron you have no idea what you are talking about." George spat.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, she has spent the last three months with Charlie and I. You don't know what you are talking about because you don't even know her. And she doesn't want to be around you because all you ever do is try to get her to talk about shit she doesn't want to talk about."

"It is because I care abouther." Ron snapped.

"If you really cared, then you would know that she doesn't want to talk. If you actually spent time with her and asked what she would want to do, you would know that!" George yelled.

"Wait. Have you- are you two?" Ron trailed off, but Hermione understood what he meant. So she stormed down the stairs and into the living room.

"Good God, Ron. You are unbelievable you know that? I mean seriously how could you be so thick?" She asked walking up to stand next to George. "You really think the only way George would understand me, is if we were sleeping together? Really?"

"Hermione I-"

"Save it Ron. I don't want to hear it." She cut him off Turing towards George. "Let's go." Charlie stood from the couch and started walking to the door followed by George than Hermione.

"Wait, where are you three going?" Ron asked sounding annoyed.

"None of your business." Hermione threw over her shoulder as she walked out of the Burrow.

They walked in silence down to the tattoo shop. Once they got there however they started to discuss what tattoos George and Charlie should get. George had decided on getting a tattoo on his left hip that said 'April Fools'. While Charlie decided to get the Roman numerals for everyone's birthday starting at the base of his neck traveling to his mid shoulder blade. Hermione was still not sure if she would get one today.

"Come on, Hermione get a tattoo." Called the voice of Charlie from behind her.

"I am not opposed to getting a tattoo, it's just- I don't know what to get." She replied.

"What was it you were talking about getting last time?" George chimed in.

"Oh, wasn't it like your constellation or something?" Charlie asked.

"Zodiac sign, and yeah, the Virgo symbol with the constellation underneath." She mumble while looking at the book of tattoos.

"Where are you getting it?" George asked.

"I didn't say I was."

"I know but you want to, don't you?" The younger Weasley asked.

"Yes." She rolled her eyes. "I would have the symbol at the base of my hair line and put the constellation just below it on my neck."

"It is settle then." Charlie said coming up next to her and waving over the shop owner. They all explained what tattoos they wanted and their placement to the owner.

After two hours they were finished and began to walk home. The two boys were smoking as they walked in a line, Hermione in the middle.

"So." Charlie broke the silence. "What happened with you and Ron today?"

"I- we- well he" Hermione stuttered trying to find the words. "Let me start form the beginning." She correct taking a deep breath. "Harry, Ginny and I went to Diagon this morning to get supplies for school, when we finished we went to go get ice cream that was when I remembered I forgot to get a book. So I went to Flourish and Blotts to get the book and literally ran into Theodore Nott, he was there with Pansy Parkinson looking for school supplies too."

"Nott and Parkinson are going back to Hogwarts?" George interjected.

"Apparently" Hermione replied. "The three of us had been talking for a few minutes when Ron showed up out of now where, pushed me behind him, and brandished his wand at them. When I told him to stop, because we were in a store packed with adults and children, he started wailing about how they were Death Eaters and should be in Azkaban. When I finally told him to leave he walked off like a spoiled five year old." She said huffing at the memory.

"So you protected Nott and Parkinson? Two ex- Death Eaters and Slytherins." Charlie asked innocently.

"Yes and no. It wasn't my first thought to protect them, but when he started going on about them needing to be in Azkaban, I kind of snapped. Then we came home and started arguing again, he, for some reason brought up our relationship, or lack thereof. And I just snapped." Hermione said taking a slow breathe. "I told him that I didn't want a relationship with him, and hadn't for a while. So, erm that is pretty much it."

"How long have you not liked Ron for?" George asked.

"Since fourth year, I think." She said quietly, as she thought back to the Yule Ball, Ron's harsh words that night and his disgusting bruises the next day.


	5. Drinking with Gingers

When the three got home the house was unnervingly quiet. Molly wasn't home yet, which they expected since the outreach program at the ministry was requiring her work much more recently. But there was not Ron, or Harry or Ginny insight. The two boys headed straight to the kitchen while Hermione went up stairs to her room to look for Ginny.

Pushing the door open Hermione heard a faint sniffing from inside. She looked over to see Ginny curled up on her bed crying into her hands.

"Ginny?" Hermione called out. "Hey, Gin what's wrong? What happened?" She asked in a soft voice.

Ginny looked up through her finger. "Hermione?" She asked voice cracking.

"Yeah, Gin. It's me, what happened?" Taking a seat next to Ginny.

"Harry and Ron left-" she cut off letting out a low sob and leaning into Hermione's open arms. "They left. They went to Grimmuald Place."

"Why Gin?" Hermione asked softly.

"After you left, I got into a fight with Harry about how he shouldn't take Ron's side, one thing lead to another and we- we broke up." She said as her whole body shakes with sobs.

"Oh, Ginny I am so sorry." Hermione said holding her friend even closer.

"It's not you fault 'Mione." Ginny said slightly letting up on crying. "It is probably for the best right now anyway. With me going back to school and Harry having to travel for Auror training."

"But that doesn't make it any easier." Hermione said thickly. "Do you want me to get you anything?"

"No, can you just stay with me?" She asked quietly.

"Of course." Hermione mumbled while turning to lay down with Ginny. They feel asleep in a tangle of limbs and hair.

Waking up the next day with Ginny still in her arms Hermione had to slowly shift off the bed to make sure not to wake Ginny. She had fallen asleep in her clothes from the previous day so she went over to the dresser to pick out a new outfit.

After getting changed Hermione headed downstairs to the kitchen for coffee. Walking in she saw George and Charlie talking leaning against the kitchen counter. They stopped once she entered the room.

"Morning, love." Charlie said. It had originally been a joke for him to call her that, but now turned into a habit.

"Morning." She said taking the mug from George.

"Where did you go last night? You said you were going to look for Ginny but never came back down. Mom had gone up to ask if you two wanted dinner but came down and said that it would be best to leave you two alone." George asked taking a sip of coffee.

"Ron and Harry moved to Grimmuald Place." Hermione said bluntly.

"What?" Both boys said in unison.

"Apparently, Ron didn't want to stay here with me anyone so he asked Harry if he could stay there. Then Ginny and Harry got into a fight and ended up breaking up so he went there with Ron." She replied.

"Why did the break-up?" Charlie asked.

"Ginny said that it was because Harry was taking Ron's side of the argument that him and I had, or at least that is how they started arguing." Hermione said.

"Wow that is. . ." Charlie said.

"Yeah." George said nodding his head.

—————

For the next two weeks before school Ginny primary kept to her room. It wasn't until two nights before they were leaving that she came down stairs.

"Guys! We are going to a bar!" She exclaimed at the landing.

Looking into the room she saw George and Hermione sitting on the couch next to one another while Charlie was lounging in a rocking chair.

"We're what?" George asked.

"I have decided that the two of you should send Hermione and I off for school by taking us out to a bar." Ginny told her brother matter-factually.

"Are we now?" Charlie asked raising his eyebrows playfully.

"Yes. Now Hermione and I need to go get ready, I suggest you two do the same." Ginny information them, walking over to Hermione on the couch.

"How do you mean by 'get ready'?" Hermione asked as Ginny pulled at her arm while they walked across the room.

"The works!" Ginny replied. Hermione groaned causing both boys to laugh as the two girl went up stairs.

When they got to their room Hermione saw that Ginny had layer out a dress for her, only with one of the matching underwear set. Hermione tried to protest the outfit but Ginny refused. They began to get dressed. Hernione's dress was a dark green satin slip that hit just above her thigh, while the underwear was a matching black lacy thing that Hermione needed help putting on due to all the straps on the bra. Ginny wore a red lace underwear set that closely resembled Hermione's, with a black velvet corset style dress. Both girls wore a pair of black heels.

Walking down the stairs where the boys were waiting for them in t-shirts and jeans, Hermione felt very overdressed. But when both boys jaw dropped at the sight of them she felt slightly more comfortable.

"You two look absolutely beautiful." Charlie said walking up to Ginny and kissing her and Hermione's cheeks.

"Yeah, what he said." George commented kissing both of there cheeks as well. "Where are we going exactly?"

"I thought we could go to the bar past the tattoo shop you three normally go to?"

They all agreed, walking out of the house. The four of them drank, danced, and laughed the whole night and didn't go home until 5 AM. They all half stumbled into the burrow trying to be as quiet at possible but failing in their drunken states. Walking through the kitchen door Hermione tripped over one of her heels and bumped into George causing him to grab onto her to keep from fall. However, when he grabbed onto Hermione she fell right into him. Two seconds after the pair had fallen all four stared laughing loudly.

"Who is there?" Called a voice none of them had heard in almost to weeks.

"Ron?" Charlie was the first to ask as the other were still and silent.

"Charlie what are you doing up so early?" Ron asked as he walked into the kitchen flicking on the lights. Then he saw them all Hermione and Ginny all dress up, as Hermione lay still, shocked in surprise on top of George.

"We just got home mate." George said struggling to help Hermione up.

"Just got home? From were?" He asked "And why are you two so dressed up?" He inquired gesturing between a stumbling to stand Hermione and Ginny.

"We went out drinking Ron." Ginny said with a lip of tone.

"At 5 in the morning, really?"

"Why are you even here?" Hermione spoke up. "I thought you moved."

"I- I did. I just need to get some things." He replied.

"Well we need to get to bed" Ginny said linking arms with Hermione and dragging her up the stairs past Ron.

They girl stripped themselves of their heels, dresses, and underthings and threw on a pair of pajamas. Both crawling into their beds, falling asleep the minute their heads hit the pillows. The girls woke at noon to Molly knocking on their door.

"Come in" Ginny mumbled in her sleepy state.

"Oh, sorry dears I didn't know you two were sleeping." Molly said walking into the room.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Just past noon."

"We should probably get up anyway so we can sleep tonight." Ginny said sitting up in bed.

"Well I am just doing laundry the rest of the day, would you to care to help?" Molly asked.

Both girl mumbled yes, then got up to get dressed. The rest of the day was mundane. They did laundry ate dinner and finally finished packing their things for the next day when the would head to Kings Cross station.

It will be weird going to Hogwarts without Harry or Ron. Hermione thought. She had gotten on theHogwarts express with them for four years and couldn't imagine what school would be like without them. But she was finally ready to have some freedom from worrying about weather or not she did that year.

When she finally drifted off to sleep. She dreamt of her first year at Hogwarts a skinny boy that had crazy brown hair and green eyes slid into her subconscious, then a boy with bright orange hair and blue eyes, and finally a boy that had silver blonde hair and bright pale grey eyes. Oh, to be an innocent elevated year old again.


	6. Hogwarts

**SEPTEMBER 1st, 1998**

Hermione woke with a start when banging erupted from the other side of the door, quickly followed by the door being thrown open while two tall gingers ran into the room to jump on her and Ginny's bed.

"Merlin, did you two really have to do that?" Hermione shouted as she felt the weight of a body land on her legs.

"Yes, yes we did. You two are going back to school for your last year we had to send you off with a good morning wake up call." George said squirming on Hermione's shins.

"We won't see either one of you again till October, so we had to annoy you this morning." Charlie added from Ginny's bed. 

"Right, well, can you two leave so Mione and I can get dressed?" Ginny asked. Once they were dressed they called for Charlie and George to bring down their trunks.

"Bloody fuckin' hell Hermione, did you pack a whole library in here?" Charlie asked as the four of them walked down the stairs.

"No," Hermione said. "Just half a library." She said with a light smile.

"Could have fooled me." Charlie called back.

The rest of the morning was a blur. She felt like her life was changing and she didn't know why. Hermione could only remember bits and pieces until the got to Kings Cross station, running through the brick wall was when everything started to clear.

"Hermione!" Called Charlie pulling her out of her own mind.

"Sorry, I was thinking. Did you need something?" She asked.

"George and I have to get going." Charlie said sadly.

"Oh." Hermione said before wrapping her arms around Charlie's chest to give home a hug. "I will miss you." She said into his chest.

"I miss you too, love." He said with a light chuckle, Hermione smiled in response.

Looking behind Charlie she saw George, standing awkwardly, staring at his shoes. When he glanced up he saw Hermione bolting to him jumping to wrap her arms around his neck and bury her face in his shoulder. He instantly recovered from her jumping at him and wrapped his arms around her waist holding her a foot off the ground.

"Thank you." She murmured against his skin.

"For what?" He asked quietly.

"For being there. For listening to me went I was drunk and would rant about stupid shit. For yelling at your arsehole of a brother for me. For. .. Everything." She said while George tightened his hold for a moment.

"Always." He mumbled, slowly putting her on the floor before lightly grabbing the back of her neck to place a kiss on forehead. "I'll miss you, Hermione."

"I'll miss you too, George." She said smiling sadly at him before turning away and following Ginny onto the train while a few rouge tears slipping past her lashes. She sipped them away before anyone noticed.

——————

Ginny and Hermione walked through the train to find an empty compartment when they heard a familiar voice calling them.

"Hermione, Ginny. You two look well." Luna said calling at them from a compartment door waving them over.

"You look good too Luna." Hermione said brightly stepping past her into the cart.

"Yes, the nargal population has decreased recently. That normally makes things clearer." Luna said sliding the door closed behind Ginny.

"That sounds good." Ginny commented.

"Very."

The three girls talked for a little while longer but Luna soon left to go find a fairy she had seen two cars back. Hermione read all the way to the school, she read that same book several times before but it had been the one she carried with her since fourth year.

Once they arrived at the school the thestral carriages began to bring them up to the Great Entrance doors. They were immediately ushered into the school by professor Flitwick and Slughorn all the way to the Great Hall.

The sorting ceremony was short, about half the amount of first years had come to Hogwarts that year. But the feast like always was delicious. Once everyone had collectively finished all their plates the food was magiced away, Headmistress McGonagall then stood up directing everyones attention to her towards her for the annual headmaster speech.

"I am so glad you have all returned." McGonagall said smiling at the room. "We have several new teachers I would like to welcome." McGonagall spent the next ten minutes introducing all the new teachers. Had that many teachers left the school last year? Hermione thought.

"I would also like you introduce our Head Girl and Head Boy." She said sweeping her eyes across everyone with a hint of fear. "Our Head Girl, Hermione Granger." The whole room including the Slytherin table behind her began to cheer. Hermione just stood their holding a small smile. "And our Head Boy-" McGonagall took a deep breath. "Draco Malfoy." The room was dead silent. Not even the Slytherins made a noise.

Hermione turned to the Slytherin table to see that, yes, Draco Malfoy was in fact standing in the Great Hall. He was already looking at her but when they made eye contact his face became paler, anunknown emotion flashed across his eyes before his face went blank. He looked healthier than he did at his trail. Despite the purplish half circles under his eyes, he seemed to have gained some muscle, he also looked slightly tanner than he had before. While Hermione's eyes flitted across his figure she could feel his eyes on her. When she looked up her breathe caught in her throat for a moment before she took in a shaking breathe averting her eyes. A few moments later voice called out through the silent room.

"You can't be serious! Malfoy, the bloody Death Eater is allowed back into the school, not only that, but is also Head Boy?!" Seamus called from behind Hermione.

After that all the insults came 'filthy bastard', 'murder', 'belongs in Azkaban', and even 'you should be dead'. The yells and shouts were soon drowned out by the sound of a whistle coming from the teacher's table. Everyone turned to look at were the sound had come from.

"I asked Mr. Malfoy to be Head Boy. If any of you continue your crusade against him, each comment will cost your house 15 points." Professor McGonagall said warningly flashing her eyes to Seamus. "Now, that the feast has finished I would like all the prefects to take first years up too their dorms, and all students will be in their respective common rooms within the hour." The last comment erupted several groans from the room but they all obeyed their Headmistress' command.

Ginny stood up next to Hermione giving her a face that said 'sorry that you have to live with Malfoy'. Written all over it.

"I'll see you in the tomorrow, yeah?" Ginny asked placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder.

"Yeah, Gin I'll meet you for lunch don't worry." Hermione trying to convince herself not to worry but she couldn't help the thought running through her mind. I am living with Draco Malfoy for the next eight months. The phrase repeated several times but the feeling change somehow it wasn't worry or fear it was an odd sensation of ease mixed with concern.

"Oh hey, Gin wait!" Hermione called out as her friend had started to walk away. "Don't tell Ron if he writes. We both know how much he hates. .." She trailed off.

"Yeah." Ginny replied shifting her weight in between her feet uncomfortably. "He would go mental." She finally added before quickly turning to lead a small group of first years to Gryffindor Tower. 

Hermione took several breathes staying in the same place she had stood when her name had been called before turning to look for McGonagall in the emptying room. McGonagall was already headed towards her however, quickly trailed by a towering blonde.

"Mrs. Granger, lovely to see you dear." McGonagall said reaching Hermione.

"Lovely to see you as well, Headmistress." Hermione said activity trying to not look at Malfoy.

"Well, I should show you two to your dorm." She said taking a few steps. "Follow me."

The two eighth years followed their Headmistress closely up several flights of stairs, through several corridors until she finally stopped in front of a portrait that had a painting of a castle covered in rose bushes on the 9th floor of the east wing.

"Now what would you two like the password to be?" McGonagall asked turning to face them.

Both shifted on their feet for a few moments before glancing at each other accidentally meeting each other's eyes.

"I erm- I don't have any ideas." Hermione told McGonagall.

"Neither do I" Malfoy said.

"How about your favorite candy?" McGonagall suggested.

"Sugar Quills?" Hermione said glancing towards Malfoy.

"Chocolate Frogs?" He replied.

"How about and old common room password?" She suggested again

"That-" Malfoy said cutting off. "That won't work for me." Making Hermione give him a curios glance.

"I erm- oh! Caput Draconis" Hermione said remembering her password from first year. She didn't notice the look that Malfoy had given her when she had said those words.

"Perfect." Professor McGonagall replied turning away to the portrait to add the password charm.

"Very subtle Granger." Malfoy said leaning down to whisper.

"What are you talking about?" She asked flushing at his new closeness, though she didn't know why she flushed, or why she had started to sweat.

"Really? The password you chose means 'The Dragons head'"

"What does that have to-" she cut off as McGonagall walked back towards them.

"It is all set. Your trunks are in the rooms that have your names on them already. Have a good night." McGonagall said before walking away.

Malfoy walked up to the door mumbled the password and opened the door. Hermione was too lost in thought about what Malfoy meant, she hadn't noticed he moved until he said something.

"Coming Granger? Or are you going to stand out in the hallway and decline my act of chivalry?" He called snapping her out of her trance.

She looked at him and rolled her eyes at the smug look on his face. She walked past him into their dorm.

When Hermione walked in, she recognized a living room of sorts with a couch and three arm chairs, as she walked further in she saw that it even had a muggle radio. Just beyond couch she saw a kitchenette equipped with a muggle coffee machine, a sink, and a small oven with a stove. There was a powder room next to the kitchen and a spiral stair case that lead to an upper floor. Across from the kitchenette was a balcony.

Hermione walked around the first floor from the living room, to the threshold of the bathroom, to the middle of the kitchen. She turned around having not heard Malfoy move since he had shut the door. She found that he was leaning against the wall slowly looking around the room.

"What did you mean out in the hallway?" His eyes flew from the fireplace in the living area to her. "About the 'subtlety' of the password?"

"'The Dragons Head'? Come on Granger, use that big brain of yours and think about it." He drawled sarcastically.

She eyed him suspiciously. She genuinely didn't know what he meant by it at the time. Then it clicked, his given name 'Draco', meaning dragon.

"Oh." She said bluntly. "I didn't- I- it wasn't on purpose. I didn't choose that on purpose, it was just the password from my first year and it was the first one that came to mind."

"I'll accept your apology Granger." Malfoy said stepping in to the room towards her.

"It wasn't an apology," she said, muttering "arse" afterwards.

"Mm" he huffed rolling his eyes. "Proud as ever."

"Better proud than a bastard." Hermione said narrowing her eyes at Malfoy. She then walked across the kitchen to the stairs and started walking up them followed quickly by Malfoy. The staircase brought them up to a small sitting area with two large armchairs, and a wall full of books, behind the staircase was a bay window that looked out over the Black Lake. She took a step into the sitting room feeling flustered by his presence behind her.

Malfoy stood at the top of the stairs just glancing around until he walked towards a hallway.

"This is your room Granger." He called out while tapping on a door. Hermione walked up to stand next to him. Before glancing down the hall to see two more closed doors. She walked down and saw the door to the right had Malfoy's name on it.

"Your room." she said pointing at the door before turning to look at the other that had no indication of it's purpose. Hermione cracked the door open to see a bathroom, she opened the door almost all the way to see inside but stayed in the threshold. The bathroom has a large walk-in shower as well as a large clawfoot tub.

"Bathroom." She jumped at Malfoy's voice, stumbling a little trying turn around to see him, but he was closer than she realized.

She tripped over his foot and began to fall. Instinctively grabbing for him trying to steady herself. Malfoy had been caught off guard by her clumsiness and had started to reach for her too late, loosing his own balance, causing the pair to tumble to the wood floor.

Hermione let out a muffled squeal as her back hit the floor and Malfoy landed on top of her. Malfoy hesitated but only for a moment before propping him self up on his elbows to hover over her.

"Are you always this clumsy Granger?" He asked sarcastically, making her scoff slightly.

Hermione could feel the heat radiating off his body, and the faint pant of his breath across her skin as he spoke. He was close, too close for her mind to process what was going on. Now she could smell him, his cologne, tea tree shampoo, fresh linen, and a peppermint, she felt almost deletions in his aroma. When she finally realized what position they were in she flushed to a bright tomato red. An awkward silence fell upon the pair in a blanket of cold thickness, but when she looked up to his face she met his pale grey eyes and some of the awkwardness faded into an indescribable comfort.

"I- I um-" Hermione said breathlessly breaking the silence. "No." Still more air than noise.

"Good, I would hate to have to baby proof the dorm." He grunted shifting his weight between his forearms.

Hermione noticed that the way they were tangled together was quite complicated. If Malfoy moved too much weight to one arm and became unsteady he would fall on top of her. If Hermione tried to shift out from under him she could hit his arm and he could fall on top of her.

Neither one communicating, they both started to adjust. Causing Malfoy to put all of his weight on the arm Hermione had just bumped into. Causing Malfoy to land right on top of her. He groaned in annoyance.

"What do you want me to do?" Hermione asked trying to get out of their current horizontal position. She almost wanted to die of awkwardness at how hot she became while he was on top of her.

"Don't move." he growled, bringing the palms of his hands up and planting them next to her head pushing himself up to hover over her again.

She could see his face better now in the new light, and she let her mind wonder to what else could cause them to be in a position like this before she stopped herself. What are you doing,Hermione? She asked herself. You have never been like this around a boy, he is just another boy like, George or Charlie. And you don't think those thinks about them. She scrutinized herself before looking up at him, she saw something flash in his eyes before they reverted back to their state of cold normalcy.

He shifted his legs to detangle them from hers making him move some of his weight to his arms pushing him closer to her face, before he planted his feet on the ground and slowly stood. Once he was steadily on his feet, he barely glanced a second look at Hermione before turning and storming straight into his room leaving her laying on the floor. No longer hot, now Hermione was cold.

——————

Draco slammed the door to his room, and threw up a muffling charm when he felt a rush if heat flood his body then travel to his lower abdomen. Little fucking swot. Draco thought. She didn't even try anything, she didn't even have to try, she was simply clumsy and it affected Draco, a lot more than he would like to admit to himself. Like almost everything in the last few years that pertained to her affected him.

They had been so close that he could smell her coconut shampoo, and her rose and lilac perfume. Her aroma hung in the air around him, he couldn't shake the thought of how perfect she looked laying underneath him.

Draco's feelings since fourth year never changed, he liked the Muggle-born, know-it-all, Gryffindor. He felt protective over her. He could almost feel her presence when she was around, even when he could not see her.

The more he thought about her the stiffer his member grew. Before he could stop himself his hands had traveled down his body to undo his pants. Draco roughly tugged down his pants and boxers to his ankles. Grabbing his own shaft in the palm of his hand releasing a groan from deep in his throat. Swiping the moister that seeped from his tip with the pad of his thumb before he tightly wrapped his fingers around his completely hardened cock.

He took a sharp intake of breath when he pumped his hand down his shaft. He braced himself against the wall of his room as he moved his hand faster and faster, up and down, changing and adjusting the pressure. He thought of Hermione, the way she looked under him, how she smelt, how she sounded when she panted slightly from the commotion of her clumsiness. All he thought of for the past four years was her. When Draco finally came, the white sticky liquid spilled out from him onto his hand. He slumped forward, head against the wall and panted.

Draco hated himself for feeling the way he did for Hermione knowing all the pain he caused her over the last 8 years. He never planned on caring about a muggle-born especially after what his father drilled into him since before he could walk, saying things like muggle-borns are 'disgraceful', 'dirty', 'ugly', and 'incompetent', but that never applied to Hermione, at least not to Draco. She wasn't disgraceful she was shamelessly herself, she never cared how most people saw her, she wasn't dirty or ugly she was beautifully unique and bright, and Hermione Granger was probably the most competent person Draco ever met. She wasn't what Lucius called a 'mudblood', Hermione was perfect in almost every way.

Draco leaded against the wall half naked, thinking about Hermione's attributes until he was almost hard again before he snapped himself out of his trance. Whipping his hand on a dirty shirt pulled on the floor before pulling up his pants turning around to then head straight to his dresser, opening the drawers to take out a vest and a clean pair of boxers. He had lived in this dorm for the past six weeks, Draco knew exactly were everything was.

Heading to the bathroom Draco saw the light from downstairs and heard the clatter of dishes. Was she rearranging the dorm? Draco believed the dorm was perfectly fine but, what ever made the princess happy.

——————

She sighed, standing trying to shake the thoughts of Malfoy from her head. She went to her room and began to unpack to distract herself, but all she could feel is his breath on her face and his smell in her nose.

She tried to sleep but couldn't, her mind was racing trying to find something that was hiding in the corners of her brain. Deciding that she wouldn't be able to sleep she left her room and went downstairs. It was only 11 PM, as she stared at the first level of their room she realized the furniture was mismatched with odd colors. Taking out her wand Hermione transfigured the coffee colored canvas of the couch to a cerulean velvet. She then transfigured the terracotta chairs into a light grey suede.

She continued to redecorate the living room until she felt that it looked elegant yet homie. Then she moved onto the kitchen. She rearranged drawers and cabinets, moved the coffee machine, and changed the color of the fridge. Once she was satisfied with the results, Hermione realized she should get some sleep. She walked up the stairs and headed to her room, now tired, and not thinking of the blonde down the hall Hermione shut her eyes and drifted off to sleep at 4AM.


	7. Blaise Zabini

**Saturday September 2, 1998**

Hermione woke up in the early afternoon hours to sunlight beaming onto her face. Sitting up from her bed she pulled her sleep tousled curls in to a messy knot at the top of her head before she stood up, heading out of her room.

She groggily sauntered down the stairs to the kitchenette b-lining straight to the coffee machine. She started the pot then went to grab a mug.

"Who would have thought the Golden Girl has a tattoo." She jumped almost a foot in the air turning to see four other people in the room.

"Parkinson?" She said looking to the speaker finding a Slytherin group that consisted of Theo, Blaise, Malfoy, and Pansy.

"The one and only, love." Pansy replied.

"What did you say?" Hermione asked still looking at the three boys before turning back to the coffee machine, seeming unbothered by their presence.

"I am just surprised that you have a tattoo. On your neck of all places." Pansy informed her from the armchair.

"Then you might just drop dead, because I have 13 more to match." She retorted pouring her coffee and turning around.

"You have 14 tattoos?" Came the shocked voice of Theo.

"Yes." Hermione answered.

"Wow. I thought you were a bitchy prude." Theo said bluntly with a smirk.

Slightly annoyed by Theo's comment Hermione scoffed before changing her attention to the one person she actually knew in that room.

"How are you, Blaise?" She asked.

"Fine, Granger, and you?"

"Wait," Hermione was cut off before she could answer. "Blaise?" Pansy asked looking between Blaise and Hermione.

"Yes?" Blaise replied confused by the comment.

"She called you Blaise." Pansy said looking at her fellow slytherin.

"So?" Hermione asked confused by the fascination of the name.

"You call us all by our last names," Pansy said gesturing towards herself and the two other boys not participating in the conversation. "But you called him Blaise."

"Yeah, well I know him." She said taking a sip of coffe. "We are friends. I think." she added the last words unsure if that was entirely true.

"Friends?" Malfoy said speaking up for the first time since she came down the stairs. "When the fuck did you two become friends?" Malfoy asked giving a pointed look to Blaise, but Hermione decided to answer.

"Fifth year." 

"How did you two become friends? I mean you are Gryffindors mother fucking princess, and Blaise is a Slytherin." Theo asked pointing the question to Hermione, but Blaise decided to answer.

"I needed help studying for my O.W.L's. So I asked the brightest witch in the school." Blaise said with a smirk, eyes having not left Malfoy since he asked his question.

"And she agreed to that?" Malfoy asked like Hermione wasn't in the room.

"Yes?" She said, apparently Malfoy had forgotten that she was in the room because his head wiped towards her in surprise. "He asked." She said bluntly.

"So if I had asked, you would have helped me study?" Theo inquired.

"No." Hermione tutted, slightly glaring at him. "You were an arse, and you bullied me. He never did." She said gesturing towards Blaise.

"Yeah but he's a slytherin" Theo retorted.

"So was Andromeda Tonks. I had met her the summer before he asked. Besides, I never hated Slytherins, I just didn't like you lot." Gesturing to Pansy, Theo, and Malfoy. "You three were asres."

Theo looked like he was about to say something in response to Hermione, but Malfoy jumped up from his seat on the couch. "Aren't we going to Hogsmeade?" Asking louder than the situation called for.

"I kind of want to stay, Granger has become somewhat interesting." Theo quipped.

"We are going." Malfoy command the three Slytherins.

"Why don't we invite her?" Pansy said raising from the chair. "I want to know more about her as well."

"Pansy." Malfoy gritted out, standing to challenge her.

"What?" Pansy said innocently to Malfoy before turning slightly to look at Hermione. "Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with us?"

"I erm- I" Hermione stuttered taken aback by the question. She considered for a minute but the way Malfoy looked in that moment was deadly, so she decided against it. "I told Ginny I would hangout with her today." Earning a look of unconvinced smug from Pansy, forcing her to add information. "She and Harry broke up recently, I don't want her to be lonely."

"Weasley and Potter broke up?" Blaise asked with growing interest.

"Yep, two weeks ago."

"Hmm" was all Blaise replied with before Malfoy ushering everyone out the door.

Hermione realized she should go see Ginny. She hadn't really thought about it but Ginny probably was uncomfortable being at Hogwarts with everything that had happened over the last year.

Hermione went upstairs brushed her teeth, did her hair and put on a pair of her muggle denims and a long sleeve. Even though it was the beginning of September, the castle always had a slight chill. When she walked out of portrait, turning to head towards Gryffindor Tower. She ran into a hard body, stumbling slightly she looked up to see who she had run into, Cormac McLaggen. Looking slimy as ever.

"Watch it- Oh Hermione, just the girl I was looking for."

"Cormac." She replied tightly stepping away from him.

"I was curious if we could a . . . catch up sometime. Just you and I." He said stepping into her.

"Maybe later Cormac. I have somewhere to be." She said turning to head down the hall but his hand jetted out and grabbed her left wrist. She winced when white hot pain shot from her arm.

"Come on, it can't be that important." He said still holding her arm. She could feel the tight skin begin to pull at the edges of the letters in her arm.

"Let go of me Cormac." Hermione bit out through the pain in her arm.

"I just want to talk." He replied closing the grip on her arm even tighter, making Hermione wince even more as she felt her skin break apart and the warm wet blood seep out of the wound.

"Cormac, get your hands off of me now." She said as strongly as she could. But as his hand clamped down even more her vision filled with black spots and she swayed as she stood. She hoped someone would walk down the hall and she could ask them for help.

"You are fine." He commented smugly pulling Hermione into him.

"You are hurting me Cormac." She said as loudly as she could but she knew no one would hear her. Her vision was now half black, every sound made sounded slightly muffled.

"Stop whining-" Cormac started before Hermione heard an odd cracking noise and she was released. And she saw a flash of white.

—————

"Shit. I forgot my wand." Draco told his friends as he checked his pockets. That had just mad it out of the castle entrance.

"Do you really need it?" Pansy asked.

"Yes." He replied turning around. "Wait here I be back in a few minutes." He threw over his shoulder as he walked away.

Draco hoped that Hermione had already left the room. He didn't feel like having her bumbled him with questions or assumptions. Draco was a few corridors down from their dorm when he heard muffled voices. He could make out what they were saying or who they were, he didn't even know were they were. But as he walked on the voices became louder. One of the voices sounded familiar, Hermione. Draco slowed down his walking, listening to the conversation.

"You are fine." Draco heard a male voice say.

"You are hurting me Cormac!" Draco heard Hermione say and he broke out into a sprint towards her voice.

Draco rounded the corner seeing Cormac McLaggen holding tightly onto Hermione's wrist. McLaggen had started to say something but Draco cut him off by slamming his fist into McLaggen's jaw, making sure he dropped Hermione wrist before grabbing the front of his shirt and punching his nose.

"Malfoy what are you-" McLaggen grunted before Draco punched him in the stomach causing him to double over. Draco then grabbed him again pinning him to the wall.

"She said you let her go," he punched McLaggen's ribs feeling them crack. "You didn't." Another rib cracking.

"Malfoy stop, please." He asked with a pleading voice.

"She asked you to stop, and you didn't, why should I?" Draco spat slamming McLaggen into the wall hearing his head smack against the stone. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt Draco held Cormac against the wall. "If you ever go near her, or talk to her again I will rip your eyes out. Got it?" McLaggen nodded. "Good." Malfoy said before punching McLaggen across his temple dropping him to the ground, not moving. Draco looked over to see a dazed expression on Hermione's face while she tightly clutched her arm.

"Granger." Draco said with no reply.

"Granger." He repeated but still not reply, she seemed to be disassociated from the world around her.

He walked closer, standing right in front of her. "Granger can you hear me?" With no response or movement to show that she had her Draco calling her he crouched down in front of her. Her cheeks were wet with tears. He brought his hand up to her cheek swiping away the tears while she leaned into his cold touch she looked up at him.

"Granger." He said softly looking down at her. Even thought he was crouched down he was still quite a few inches taller than her.

"Malfoy?" She finally replied looking at him through wet eye lashes.

"Granger" he said bringing his other hand to clear the tears from her other cheek cradling her face in his hands. Looking down to her arm he said, "Your arm is bleeding."

"What?" She asked.

"Your arm is bleeding." He repeated and she looked down to the inside of her forearm and winced slightly when he put his hand on the back of her arm seeing the blood soaked sleeve.

"I need to get you the Hospital wing." Hermione croaked.

"Can you stand?" Draco questioned.

—————

Hermione nodded absently pushing off the floor with her uninjured arm. When she had stood up completely, her vision went black while her knees buckled under her. Before she hit the ground a pair of arms grabbed her. One behind her knees and one around her back raising her off the ground. Malfoy was holding Hermione against his chest she tried to consider why he would just levitate her, but she couldn't find it in her mind to fight past the pain so she nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck. Her senses filled with his aroma, teakwood cologne, tea tree shampoo and fresh linen. She could feel his pulse against the skin of her cheek. She relaxed in his arms becoming complete dead weight as she focused on the smell of him, his long strides and the expansion of his chest when he took a breath.

Hermione had been lost in the little things about Malfoy that oddly comforted her, when they entered the hospital wing. When he called over madam Pomfrey she could feel the low rumble of his voice against her cheek. Everything about him made her feel warm, and she couldn't distinguish why. When he finally put her down on one of the beds she felt a wave of cold rush over her, she criticized herself for not knowing why she felt what she felt. Why he had felt so comforting or why she wanted him to stay with her.

Madam Pomfrey had begun to heal Hermione's arm when she realized she never heard him leave the room. It took Pomfrey 30 minutes to stop the bleeding on Hermione's arm, but she couldn't close the wound so she just put a bandage across the whole scar. Madam Pomfrey had just closed her office door when Hermione heard fast footsteps entering the hospital.

"What did you do Malfoy?" Hermione heard Ginny yell.

"Weaslette." Malfoy replied.

"What did you do to Hermione?" Ginny repeated yelling even louder.

"I didn't do anything to her." Malfoy hissed evenly.

"Then why did half of the school see you carrying her, while she had a blood soaked arm? And why is the front of your shirt covered in blood?" Ginny she asked lowering her voice slightly. Neither one seemed to care that Hermione was also in that room.

"If I wanted to hurt Granger do you really think I would have taken her to the hospital wing? First of all. Second, she couldn't walk, she nearly passed out when she tried to stand, so I carried her." He said quietly. There was a moment of silence before Hermione heard the slap of shoes against stone coming closer to her.

"Then who did that to her?" Ginny said finally in Hermione's line of sight from behind the curtain dividers. Malfoy walked up till he was just out side the edge before he answered.

"McLaggen."

"Cormac? Cormac McLaggen?"

"Yes."

"Where is he now?" Ginny asked.

"Knocked out with a broken jaw, laying outside my dorm." Malfoy answered casually.

"You-" Ginny caught off for a moment. "Did you do it?"

"No, a very aggressive fairy beat him up. It was quiet the show." He said sarcastically and Hermione could see the shadow of him cross his arms over his chest.

"So you broke McLaggen's jaw because- for Hermione? You hate her." Ginny asked.

"Jaw, nose, and I think a few ribs." Malfoy nonchalantly answered. "And just because you think I hate her doesn't mean that I would just let her get hurt by someone. Even opposed to your brothers belief, some 'Death Eaters' like myself do have a moral code."

"Why are you still here?"

"I was going to leave before you came running in here accusing me of doing that Granger."

"Mhm. Well you can leave now." Ginny said with an air of cold hatred.

Hermione saw Malfoy's shadow turn away from the curtain halt for a moment then walk out of the hospital wing. Ginny watched him leave with narrowed eyes all the way till the door closed after him.

"Gin." Hermione said trying to get his attention.

"Hey, 'Mione. How are you?"

"Fine. It hurts but I am fine. Pomfrey said I could go home in the morning."

"Do you want me to get you anything? A book? Something to do?" Ginny asked sitting at the edge of Hermione's bed.

"No, I am fine. I am tired I will probably just sleep." She said adjusting herself in the bed.

"Are you sure you don't need anything?" Ginny asked.

"Nope." Ginny stood and started heading towards the door. "Oh Gin." Sh called causing Ginny to turn around. "Don't be so mean to Malfoy. He didn't hurt me, I think he saved me in a way. I almost passed out from the pain when Cormac grabbed my arm, I am afraid to think of what would have happens if he hadn't shown up."

"Wow." Ginny said with a light laugh.

"What?"

"I never thought I would hear you protect Draco Malfoy. Hell, I never thought you would protect any of them. I thought you hated them?" Ginny said slightly asking for an explanation.

"It was blind hatred that caused the war," Hermione said with a sigh. "I just- I don't see a point in continuing prejudice to anyone, even Draco Malfoy."

"Just be careful, Mione. You have such a big heart, I don't want you to get hurt." Ginny said looking softly at her friend.

"I always am." Ginny gave Hermione one small smile before she turned to walk out of the wing.

Once the door had closed completely Hermione glanced around before taking the chain from around her neck off. The chain was a shinny gold that shinned in the bright hospital lights. At the end of the chain was a book shrunk down to an 1 inch square. Reaching to the night stand Hermione grabbed her wand and preformed the charm. The book went back to its normal size. She opened the cover to read the faded ink.

Book belongs to Hogwarts Library:

Currently checked out to Draco L. Malfoy

Hermione smiled down at the ink on the page, before she turned it to read the first page.

————————

3AM September 3, 1998

Blaise had waited in the Slytherin common room for nearly two hours before he decided to venture out to find Draco. The prefects had started their rounds already, but Blaise had never been caught before and didn't expect to.

He walked up ten floors from the dungeons to the Head Boy and Girl dorm. Malfoy had told him the password that morning when they came in. At the time, it caused him to laugh. Stepping through the portrait Blaise saw the fist floor was dark, if not for the moonlight shinning in, it would have been pitch black. Blaise quickly and quietly walked to the spirally staircase, up to Draco's room. He didn't bother knocking on the door, the light was off. Walking through, his suspensions were confirmed Draco was not in the dorm. There was only one other place he could be, so Blaise turned fast leaving the dorm heading straight to the hospital wing.

"I thought I would find you hear." Blaise drawled as he closed the door behind himself.

"What do you want Blaise?" Draco asked from a chair next to Hermione. As Blaise moved closer he could see that Hermione had stirred lightly, but Draco was obviously to the movement.

"You don't need to snap, Draco." He replied with the hint of a smirk.

"Your an arsehole you know that?" Malfoy bit out.

"Why? Why am I an arsehole Draco?" Blaise asked converting to a tone of seriousness.

"You know why."

"I believe I do, but I would like to hear why, from you."

"Really?" Draco said with a huff. "Do you always have to be so fucking annoying?"

"You love me and you know it. Now, tell me why exactly, 'I am an arsehole'." Blaise lowered his voice to a whisper on the last word.

"For that bullshit excuse you used to get to know her in fifth and sixth year. You and I both know you are very well capable of getting sufficient grades on your O.W.L.'s." Malfoy whispered with bubbling anger behind his voice. "You just used her time because you wanted to prove something."

"What did I want to prove Draco?" Blaise pushed him further.

"You wanted-" Malfoy cut off. "You wanted to prove that she would be friends with you, so she would be friends with me." Malfoy finally said all the anger leaving leaving his voice.

Blaise could see that Hermione had held her breath, she was listen. He wanted to push Draco further, wanted to force Hermione to understand. _Come on Granger put the pieces together._ Blaise urged in his own mind, but just before he could push Draco to explain, the door opened. Blaise groaned internally knowing that they wouldn't get to finish their conversation, but perked up at the voice.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" He heard an annoyed Ginny Weasley.

"None of your busses Weaslette." Malfoy said returning to his air of coldness.

"It is my business, she is my best-"

"If you two are going to argue I suggest you do it outside, unless you want to wake up Hermione." Blaise interjected, wanting Ginny to notice him.

"And who are you?" Ginny said sounding both confused and agitated.

"Apparently he is Grangers friend." Malfoy said voice almost dripping with sarcasm.

"Hi, Blaise Zabini. And I am Hermione's friend." Blaise said stretching his arm it to shake Ginny's hand.

"Oh- erm. Ginny Weasley." Ginny replied quietly taking his hand to shake.

"Nice to meet you, Ginny." Blaise replied smoothly holding onto her had for just a moment longer. Her hand was rough and calloused from what he expected was ridding a broom, yet she used them gently to shake his hand.

There were a few moments of silence before Malfoy spoke up. "I am going to bed. Have fun you two." Clearly sounding annoyed.

"Right I should go too." Ginny said with a shrill whisper.

"Well I don't want to be alone talking to a sleeping person." Blaise said.

They all walked to the door, Blaise opened it as a brooding Draco stalked through, followed by Ginny who smiled lightly at him. He had a light smile as he closed the door walking to catch up with the two, that oddly started walking together.

Blaise walked up on the outside of Ginny putting her in the middle of the three person row.

"So what were you doing up so late, Ginny?" Blaise asked looking down at her slightly, she seemed to be about 5'7, while Blaise was 6'.

"Prefect patrols. I had just finished on that side of the castle so I was just going to check on Hermione. Why were you two in there?"

"Looking for Malfoy." He said forgetting that it wasn't common knowledge what Draco felt for Hermione.

"Why would you be looking for Malfoy in the hospital wing?" Ginny asked.

"I erm- he said he might be there." Blaise lied avoiding the glare that Malfoy was giving him.

"And why would you be in the hospital wing at 3AM?" Ginny asked Malfoy apparently not paying attention to Blaise's lie.

"None of your business Weaslette." Malfoy snapped at her.

"Godric you are annoying." She replied under her breath.

"So where are you headed Ginny?" Blaise asked changing the topic.

"Back to my common room." She said lightly.

"Great. I will walk you." Blaise replied wanting to spend more time with her.

"Really?" Ginny asked. Blaise nodded eagerly to which she responded, "Ok, sure."

The two broke off from Malfoy who had a smug smirk plastered on his face, as they headed to the Gryffindor common room. Blaise asked Ginny questions about her courses for the year trying to keep a light conversation, but the topic was talked out and they still had a couple hundred yards until the Gryffindor common room. They were both silent for a moment before Ginny spoke up.

"Do you know why Malfoy was in the Hospital Wing?" She asked.

"I do." He replied simply.

"Well?" She said. "Can you tell me?"

"I cannot." He declared turning to look dead ahead of them. "It is not for me to tell."

"Why not?" Ginny pushed curiously.

"Would me like me to ask you why you and Potter broke-up?" Blaise said looking back to Ginny searching her reaction.

"How did you. . ." She faded off from surprise.

"Know? Hermione mentioned it." He informed Ginny still searching her. She didn't seem all that hurt at the mention of her ex. A revaluation that caused Blaise to feel elated.

"How do those things even go together? It is not like Malfoy and Hermione dated." She said rolling her eyes.

"True, but it is a question I don't feel comfortable answering, just like I knew you would feel comfortable answering that question." Blaise said looking up to see they were only a few strides from the Gryffindor portrait.

"Oh and you know me so well do you?" Ginny asked with a playful tone.

Blaise stayed quiet before he stopped her in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "I don't yet, but I would like to know you." He smiled at her loss for words. "Goodnight, Ginny Weasley." He said before turning away heading to the dungeons feeling elated and light hearted.

——————

Hermione heard three sets of softly paddling feet, then the click of the door signifying that they had left. Hermione lay awake for close to half an hour before she fell back asleep trying to figure out what Blaise had meant when he was taking to Malfoy.

Right about what?

Did Blaise really lie about need tutoring for the O.W.L.'s?

If Blaise did lie, why would he want to know if I would be friends with him for Malfoy?

What am I missing?

Hermione felt like she had all but one piece of a puzzle she didn't eve know she was making. She wanted to know what Blaise and Malfoy were talking about and wanted to know what her own feelings meant, she was just so overwhelmed and tired. And for the first time in her life she couldn't just look for the answer in a book.


End file.
